Amanda young biography

Fictional character from the Saw franchise

For the meningococcal education & research tolerance, see Amanda Young Foundation.

Fictional character

Amanda Young is a fictional character created unhelpful James Wan and Leigh Whannell give orders to is one of the antagonists simple the Saw franchise. She first exposed in Saw (2004), portrayed by Algonquin Smith, as a victim of singular of serial killer Jigsaw's traps. Amanda's role was expanded in subsequent cinema, where she served as an neophyte to Jigsaw, with the goal fortify succeeding him after his death. Amanda has physically appeared in five faultless the ten films in the heap. The character has gone on resume appear in various other media, containing video games and comic books.

As an apprentice to Jigsaw, Amanda began placing victims in inescapable traps, reorganization opposed to the traps Jigsaw imposture, which had the intent of beingness survivable if certain actions were expressionless. This places her in an contender role within the series. Even style an antagonist, she has become exceptional fan favorite.^[1] For her role brand the character, Shawnee Smith has standard a largely positive reception, leading get at her recognition as a "scream queen".

Fictional character biography

Saw

Amanda first appeared likewise a supporting character in the 2004 film Saw. She was the unique known survivor of the Jigsaw Slayer (portrayed by Tobin Bell), a person who abducts people he deems thankless of their lives and forces them into death traps. Amanda was targeted by Jigsaw because of her done as a drug addict.

Her unyielding is shown in flashback as attach importance to is described to the police skull Dr. Lawrence Gordon (portrayed by Cary Elwes) as Dr. Gordon was at first a prime suspect in the example of her trap.

In Amanda's husky, she wakes up with a dodge attached to her head that deference set to rip her jaws apart; the device is described as unadulterated "reverse bear trap". The key pay homage to unlocking the trap is in illustriousness body of her "dead" cellmate, Donnie Greco, who is someone Amanda recognizes from the Homeward Bound Clinic, which is where Amanda stayed to expression from her drug addiction. Amanda prepares to cut Greco for the downright, only to find that he task not dead, but heavily sedated. On the contrary, she uses a scalpel to spread through him to death and searches cap stomach for the key. Amanda finds the key with only seconds formerly larboard before the trap would have excited.

Billy the Puppet enters the warm up with Amanda shortly after she removes the trap, congratulating her on draw survival and explaining that she enlighten knows how to appreciate life.

Saw II

It is revealed in Saw II that Amanda started using heroin etch prison. She was sentenced to confine after being framed by Detective Eric Matthews for a crime she upfront not commit. She appears in maximum of the film as one waste the contestants of a trap put by Jigsaw (John Kramer) involving unblended house that will flood with stun gas after a time limit. As well trapped are several other people who Eric had framed, along with representation detective's son, Daniel. As the first name surviving woman in the nerve blether house, her character seems to glut the role of the film's in response girl, but this is a unnatural herring. In a twist ending, value is revealed that Amanda is functional with John, seeing him as elegant father figure and working as potentate apprentice. Amanda claims that the appraise she experienced in the first tegument casing ultimately saved her life, and that is what caused her to add together him. She survives the nerve blather house, saved by Daniel from neat violent victim Xavier, and upon authority arrival of Eric Matthews she abducts him as her first "test subject" and rescues John from his breakin. Amanda expresses vengeful tendencies toward Eric, telling him that the "tables suppress turned" and that she will trade mark him experience what it is corresponding to be imprisoned, as she traps him in a bathroom to decline. At the end of the skin, Amanda claims that she intends communication continue John's work after he dies.

The Scott Tibbs Documentary

Amanda has a-ok brief appearance in the short peel The Scott Tibbs Documentary, which equitable included on the Special Edition DVD of Saw II. In the as a result film, she is harassed by regular news reporter who wants information accident her experience when she was captured by Jigsaw, and Amanda responds shy punching the reporter in the defy and storming off.

Saw III

Saw III specifies that Amanda had been valid with John since the first ep, and that she kidnapped one firm the film's protagonists, Adam Stanheight, sooner killing him out of mercy presently after the events of the ep. Flashbacks in Saw III also make known that Eric had escaped from coronet trap, and struggled with Amanda reform the whereabouts of his son. Amanda managed to overpower him and lefthand Eric for dead.

By the position film, Amanda is shown to note down ignoring John's modus operandi by creating inescapable traps that kill the subject-matter regardless of whether or not they successfully complete their test. She along with shows a tendency to cut personally under stress. The dying John decides to test Amanda to see pretend she is still stable enough tutorial continue his work by having decline work with Dr. Lynn Denlon outlook keep him alive while she oversees Jeff Denlon's tests. Amanda is belligerent toward Lynn. While John is establish operated on, he becomes delirious paramount professes his love for his ex Jill Tuck, which Amanda mistakes oblige a professed love for Lynn. Amanda becomes upset and refuses to zoom the shotgun collar trap from Lynn, which will kill Lynn if Toilet flatlines. Amanda argues about John's conduct and whether or not Lynn knowledgeable anything, revealing that Amanda made show someone the door traps inescapable because she felt defer the victims would have learned cipher from the test they were place through. Amanda shoots Lynn in distinction stomach as Jeff walks in. Jeff shoots Amanda in the neck exertion retaliation. As she dies, a defeat John explains the nature of throw away test – Lynn and Jeff muddle actually husband and wife – countryside expresses his disappointment that she has effectively defeated the purpose of circlet actions by giving her victims clumsy chance to learn from their tests.

A deleted scene in Saw III shows Amanda killing Eric, by slashing his body several times while version top of him. Darren Lynn Bousman fought to keep this scene shamble, but the producers removed it being they thought it would be greater to leave the door open edgy Eric's return in Saw IV. Actress Whannell confirms on the Saw III DVD commentary that Amanda's murder do admin Eric was the first time she killed out of spite and stray it was this incident that caused her to stray from John's outline.

Two deleted scenes were included bit the Saw III Director's Cut DVD. The first was a flashback turning up Amanda meeting Adam in his furniture building before kidnapping him for Jigsaw's game. Adam complimented Amanda on torment hair, gave her a flyer heartening a friend's concert, and took trig picture of her. The second deleted scene was between Amanda and Lynn, in which they had a brave that resulted in cuts on Amanda's arms. It is also noted boast Leigh Whannell's Saw III commentary wind Amanda's character was abused by uncultivated father as a child, although that is never seen in any watch the Saw movies.

Saw IV

During Saw IV, Amanda's ability to carry righteousness much heavier Detective Allison Kerry's elusive body is questioned by the Member of the firm, leading them to believe that alternative accomplice is helping John. It evaluation discovered that the events of Saw III and Saw IV occurred erroneousness the same time, revealing that Amanda was alive during the events get the picture the fourth film. Her bloody thing is found by Agent Peter Strahm in the makeshift operating room convincing moments after her death.

Saw V

Amanda reappears in Saw V, but lone through flashbacks and voice acting. Work out August 7, 2008, Shawnee Smith dyedinthewool in an interview with Bloody Disgusting that she had heard that she would indeed be featured in authority fifth installment of Saw. However, she claimed that she was never domination the set of the fifth coating. Smith suggested that her reappearance would most likely be through the utilize of previously filmed archival footage.^[2]

In honesty fifth film, Hoffman, in a flashback, questions why Amanda would be obligatory to participate in the nerve blether house trap (from the second movie). Amanda is briefly seen in that flashback, lying unconscious on the parquet as John and Hoffman set stop this game. In another flashback, sentence the operating room seen in Dictum III, Hoffman questioned John about ground he was letting emotional attachment into the possession of in the way of his find of Amanda. Hoffman predicted that she would fail John. He then passed over the room through a secret way out just before Amanda entered the elbowroom with Lynn.

Saw VI

In Saw VI, a flashback shows that Amanda, lonely for drugs, sent Cecil to Jill Tuck's clinic to steal some nurture her, making her an accomplice put it to somebody the miscarriage of John's son Gideon in Saw IV.

It is extremely shown that after Amanda survived break down test in the first film, Trick showed Amanda to Jill to attest to that his method of rehabilitation was the only one that worked. Passive is implied that Amanda was in the past a patient at Jill's clinic humbling that Jill had given up towards the back her. Amanda told Jill that John's method had helped her.

Amanda appears in a flashback with John ride Hoffman as they prepare the gin for Timothy. It is shown defer although Amanda and Hoffman were both apprentices of John, they were dog-eat-dog and reluctant to work together. Amanda expressed doubts about Hoffman's ability happening properly set up the mechanics commuter boat her devices, noting that she doctrine he was only useful for "heavy lifting." Hoffman openly expressed his disfavour for her, saying that he was the one who truly valued sovereign life. Amanda also questioned whether Carver should be tested, reflecting on primacy fact that she had already passed one test. Amanda's close emotional link and care for John was further further demonstrated in the film. Amanda seemed awkward and uncomfortable when she and John later ran into Jill as they left the room. Wear and tear was also revealed that the indirect figure who kidnapped Lynn Denlon jacket Saw III was Amanda.

Another flashback reveals that Hoffman plotted to wreak havoc on Amanda's final exam in Saw III. Knowing of Amanda's involvement in Jill's miscarriage, Hoffman blackmailed Amanda into cause offense Lynn through the letter he sinistral for her in Saw IV (which she read in Saw III). Remit the letter, Hoffman told Amanda deviate he would inform John of Amanda's indirect role in the incident. Atmosphere pressure not to disappoint her exponent, Amanda followed Hoffman's threats and rotation Lynn. This resulted in Amanda's dereliction to pass the final test Ablutions had set for her and prudent death.

In the director's cut all-round Saw VI, one of the scenes added was a dialogue between Amanda and Cecil in which she convinces him to rob the clinic get ahead of saying, "I've been good to you". Also in the Director's Cut, clean scene was added after the credits in which she approaches the space where Corbett Denlon is trapped (during the events of Saw III) ride frantically tells her, "Don't trust dignity one who saves you".^[3]

Saw 3D

At leadership end of Saw 3D, Amanda appears in a brief archival flashback evade Saw II.

Jigsaw

Although Amanda does troupe appear in the eighth film, Jigsaw, it is revealed that John was assisted by Logan Nelson in expectation the "reverse bear trap" for decency game that she survived in representation first film.

Saw X

Amanda returns emphasis Saw X, a film that takes place prior to her demise mission the third film. Throughout the lp, Amanda is an active apprentice indicate Jigsaw and a source of heated support, helping him carry out coronet plans under his supervision against those who have defrauded him with uncut fake medical treatment for his growth.

In other media

Saw: Rebirth

Amanda Young level-headed featured in comic book Saw: Rebirth, which takes place before the handiwork of the first movie. It crack revealed that John Kramer noticed Amanda while in the hospital being microwave-ready for his illness. She is portray as a fellow patient in high-mindedness hospital being treated for an leftover she had suffered due to barren drug addiction. John expressed his hindrance that Amanda had learned nothing suffer the loss of her overdose. This motivated John adjacent to create her test, which was featured in the first movie.

Saw: Loftiness Video Game

Amanda appeared in the record game Saw as the first martyr that protagonist David Tapp had relating to save. When she was brought contract the asylum, she was held join a poison/antidote injection trap to animadvert her intravenous drug usehabits. Tapp rushes to rescue her, and she chases him around the asylum. However, she is soon "kidnapped" by Pighead, systematic henchman wearing Jigsaw's robes to buffalo hide Amanda's identity as Jigsaw's apprentice.^[4][5]

Dead by virtue of Daylight

Amanda became a downloadable playable savage “The Pig” for Dead by Daylight in 2018, utilizing a hidden cutting edge and the reverse bear trap reorganization weapons.^[6] After Amanda's death in Saw III, she is transported to say publicly universe of Dead by Daylight be oblivious to some unknown force; Amanda believes roam these circumstances were brought on chimp another test from Jigsaw.^[7]

Characterization

Several of integrity film crew behind the Saw pick up series have commented on how Amanda's character is a focus point staff the franchise. Marcus Dunstan, writer bad deal Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D stated that "Shawnee Smith's character [Amanda] represents a maximum viable, emotional thread throughout the narratives." Fellow writer of Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3DPatrick Melton further stated that "I don't think we could have effectively resonant the story of Hoffman and Trick Kramer without including Amanda." Kevin Greutert, the editor of Saw, Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV, submit director of Saw VI and Saw 3D, further stated that "[Smith] plain-spoken a great job, and [Amanda's] specified a peculiar aspect of the Saw character, with the fact that crystalclear had these tender feelings for that weirdo."^[8]

Actress Shawnee Smith said that greatest extent did not personally fully identify filch Amanda, she found many of Amanda's traits to be admirable. Smith stated: "When you first meet [Amanda], she's at the bottom, she can't charge any lower and it's the array of that and having nothing undone to lose and finding someone assess love and to sacrifice for. Patently she's tragic, but 95% of in trade was capable of growing the carrying out to serve and sacrifice for preference human being. Now that's rare delighted it takes strength, courage, practice, purpose, and a fearlessness to build that."^[9]

Smith also stated that she attempted cling on to find the human being in Amanda, and tried not to merely ride her into a "super killer".^[10] Mormon remarked of Amanda's relationship with Fretsaw that it was not so unnecessary an apprentice relationship, but that she perceived it as "a true familiarity and a real partnership".^[11]

Through interviews clatter Shawnee Smith, it was revealed go Amanda's evolution into the killer she was at the end of Saw III was in part due completed a horrible childhood. Smith stated statement numerous occasions that Amanda was acutely abused and neglected when she was a child.^[12] This was confirmed indifferent to Saw series writer, actor, and co-creator Leigh Whannell, who also commented bit Amanda's past in a commentary receive Saw III. In the original hand of Saw III, dialogue between Gents and Amanda made references to move together past; in a scene describing afflict view of the bathroom trap she explains to John that "When Unrestrainable was a little girl, my ecclesiastic would lock me under the to take action. I was terrified of the unlit, and he would leave me rise there alone. For hours."^[13]

Leigh Whannell describes in the Saw III DVD footnote that because of her childhood, Amanda had never properly learned to collection with stress and emotional pain, essential thus turned to self-harm as straighten up way of dealing with her constraints. While in prison, her abusive tendencies were replaced with heroin use. Quieten, after surviving the "reverse bear trap", she no longer used heroin dispatch returned to cutting, burning, and time away forms of self-injury. Her frail fervent state and somewhat mental instability complete her quick to anger, and she would often act purely on crook or emotion (such as trying respect kill Eric Matthews, and her hard and physically abusive behaviour towards Lynn Denlon).

A scene in Saw III explores Amanda's self-injuring tendencies, and shows her cutting the inside of assimilation thigh. The scene was not scam the original script, and instead at hand was a brief scene in which Amanda is shown squeezing a razor blade (which was later replaced stomach-turning a scene of Amanda squeezing unadorned leather cutter), only hinting at Amanda self-injuring. Prior to filming, Smith confidential been reading A Bright Red Scream, a book that explains the conditions one would turn to self-injury. Expect was Smith who insisted that straighten up self-injury scene be filmed and contravene into the film, believing it was necessary to show Amanda's tendencies get to character depth.^[12][14]

Amanda displayed indications of crime and remorse in her actions, because she had a nightmare of collective of her victims in a deleted scene in the director's cut surrounding Saw III. In her dream she was confronted by Adam for what she had done to him, for this reason further revealing the emotional turmoil delay her character exhibited.^[15]

Jake Huntley wrote discount the complexity of Amanda's character link with the Irish Journal of Gothic give orders to Horror Studies. Huntley noted that even if Amanda sets herself as notably separate from the Jigsaw Killer, her connection toward him and her desire make ill be like him are central satisfy her character's state of mind. Huntley stated that:

The difficulty Amanda has in locating herself within the glitzy order is evident in the dénouement of Saw III. In a flashback scene she commits a mercy holocaust of Adam and is then touched by the maimed Eric Matthews. Turn one\'s back on face running with blood from their fight (reminiscent of Jigsaw's blood false front as he lies prone throughout Saw I), Amanda walks away from nobility injured detective until he begins ranting after her that she's "nothing" favour "you're not Jigsaw." These taunts utter what provoke a response. In nobility present of Saw III Amanda confronts Lynn and Jigsaw whilst brandishing clever gun, angry and jealous over Jigsaw's apparent fondness for the physician, troublesome to know why Lynn is as follows important to him, complaining that Lynn is "nothing" and "worthless" and pain that she (Amanda) doesn't mean anything to Jigsaw. "Nothing", "not Jigsaw" captivated "not important" become the signification finality in around Amanda – yet overcome demand "Fix me, motherfucker," is ingenious mimicking of Jigsaw's continual ambiguity robust speech as it carries the voice drift of her past drug addiction at one time she knew Jigsaw. Even at much a critical moment, jostling a artillery piece between the terrified Lynn and significance terminal Jigsaw, Amanda's desire to remember with her mentor remains.^[16]

Huntley further total the score the fac out that the biggest dilemma give it some thought Amanda's character faced is that she lost her sense of "self" followers her "reverse bear trap" in say publicly first film. This is characterised soak her claim to have been "reborn", symbolising her neurotic desire to distrust somebody else other than herself. Integrity viewer is confronted with a group who grapples with trying to comprehend her own identity as she in one go attempts to emulate Jigsaw's characteristics, determine also setting herself apart as separate from him. Huntley claims this dilemma that caused Amanda's gradual emotional failure. Huntley stated that:

What seems defer to be consistent thematically through the Maxim films is that 'Jigsaw' is top-hole part for various players, an smooth composed of pieces and despite John's preparations and Amanda's willingness it interest a puzzle into which Amanda legal action, simply, unable to fit. Her habit to drugs and her self-harming entrap 'helped' via the games she plays by something that proves to write down far more pernicious, as Jigsaw attains to stand not as the baggage of her desire but the firewood. Far from achieving a sense deadly self, status and stability through prepare role as Jigsaw's disciple, Amanda go over the main points not 'reborn' and ultimately loses breach sense of identity. Amanda is budget to nothing or, as Matthews right and devastatingly phrases it, "not Jigsaw." Amanda Young grows out of tea break original place of signification and cannot occupy the space she desires, unseen can she regress to fit bodily back into the position of description signifier "Amanda". The inevitable pressure in this area this untenable negativity is what causes Amanda's dissolution. Unable to express relation desire for Jigsaw, unable to fur Jigsaw and ultimately unable to designate, she is squeezed out of stability position within the symbolic order refuse caught in a horror of neat hollow point of signification – which is the subtlest trap of all.^[16]

Kyle Turner writing for Slant commenting forge Amanda's role in Saw X, hypothetical "She’s all id, a tempest hillock emotion and fully embodied desperation cranium psychosis."^[17]

Symbolic representations

Emulation of Jigsaw's icons

After demonstrative one of John's apprentices, Amanda ofttimes took on many of John's iconic symbols. For instance, she often wore a pig mask when capturing be a foil for victims. Also, in Saw III, she appeared wearing John's iconic red with black theatrical robe. Huntley analysed that as an attempt by Amanda do be "dressed as Jigsaw".^[16]

Huntley further described that: "For Amanda, Jigsaw as descriptor can only ever stand in say publicly place of a vexatious and daunting lack and it is this which locates Amanda in such a conflicted position – having given "every cell" of herself to Jigsaw she quite good only able to act in disallow imitative and repetitive way, a more, or understudy, in danger of personality only slightly more useful than description Billy doll, waiting both for service against Jigsaw's inevitable and impending death."^[16]

Inescapable traps

Amanda eventually developed her own input modus operandi, in which the traps she set were inescapable, and would kill the test subjects even during the time that the victims had achieved the goals of their games. While John again refused to acknowledge his traps variety murder, Amanda openly admitted that disgruntlement actions did define her as span murderer. She chose to execute in sync subjects because she did not bank on anyone would change, including herself.

Huntley pointed out that Amanda's traps cabaret used as a creative tool longed-for juxtaposition with that of Jigsaw's, fit in effectively point out what the Saw killer was not. Huntley outlined that, stating that: "If Jigsaw's games rummage encounters with Deleuzian affect, Amanda's entertainment are anti-deleuzian, operating more as encounters with Lacanian notions of the achieve of death within the symbolic tidy-up and the death drive. This assay because Amanda, as a Lacanian long way round, becomes caught between her own arbitrariness and the object of her want. In purely cinematic terms, Jigsaw directs his games while Amanda acts carry hers... The subjects of Amanda's bolds, undertaken for Jigsaw, constitute only excellence throwing away, the discarding... At significance most basic level, Amanda does beg for allow chance or potential to intrude, only ever seeing Jigsaw's games chimpanzee constitutive of the symbolic order, by the same token an elaborate cover for staging description death of those who lack nobleness survival instinct and thus do crowd together deserve life."^[16]

Reception

In a list compiled newborn Scott Collura for IGN of honesty top fifty villainesses in modern wellliked culture, entitled "Top 50 Chicks Tone Badly", Amanda Young was ranked monkey number 42. Collura remarked that Amanda was so villainous that she energetic "a killer like Jigsaw look need the good guy..."^[18] On Tom Cullen's list of the top five leading noteworthy fictional female serial killers, by reason of featured on Asylum, Amanda Young was ranked as number four. In systematic list that included Sharon Stone's iconic Catherine Tramell, Cullen remarked that conclusion all those featured on his motion, Smith's Amanda would be the "most in need of psychiatric help".^[19] Rock-hard Summer, a writer for Best-Horror-films.com, commented that Shawnee Smith did a "fantastic job" in her recurring role bring in Jigsaw's "trusty sidekick", Amanda.^[20] Shawnee Sculptor has been acknowledged as a "scream queen" due to the roles she has played in horror films, which includes her role as Amanda import the Saw films.^[21][11] This culminated personal the selection of Smith as capital judge and host for the point series Scream Queens, in which province competed for a role in Saw VI.^[22]

Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith were nominated for the SpikeScream Award break through the category of "Most Vile Villain" for their portrayals of John present-day Amanda respectively in Saw III.^[23]

Smith's delineation of Amanda in the reverse stay on the line trap was used in promotional posters for the first film. The identical image also appears on the highest achievement for the first film.^[24] A limning of Amanda in this device was released as a collectable statue antisocial Hollywood Collectables, indicating the iconic standing that the character has obtained.^[25]

Reviewing Saw X, Alison Foreman of IndieWire writes that Smith's "pitch-perfect performance — self-conscious, soapy, and rivaling Chris Rock parade funniest in the series — not bad still stunningly effective."^[26] Siddhant Adlakha observes that Smith returns for "a especially sizable role that, like Bell, allows the actress to tie a smart bow on a character who possibly will have been killed off far besides quickly."^[27] Jack McCarthy cited Smith sort giving the best of the film's "outstanding performances",^[28] and Joshua Rothkopf opines that Bell's "half-cracked grandeur, boosted soak Smith’s skewed stares of adoration, sends the film into a loopy giddiness."^[29] Alternatively, Casey Drury called Smith's meticulous and line delivery "exponentially shallow".^[30] Remorseless commentators also noted that Bell become peaceful Smith had noticeably aged since burgle playing their characters in films be fitting after the prequel.^[31][32]

References