How The Collector Escaped Becoming a Saw Prequel — The Twisted Truth Behind the Mask
The Collector (originally titled The Midnight Man) is a 2009 horror film about a desperate ex-con, Arkin O’Brien (Josh Stewart), who breaks into a client’s house to steal money and instead finds a masked killer and a home full of deadly traps. The movie was once considered as a potential origin story for the Saw franchise, but ultimately it was released as a standalone film.
Origins and Saw connection
Initially titled The Midnight Man, the script was read by producers from the Saw franchise. At one point, the project was being considered as a spin-off prequel that could explain Jigsaw’s origins. However, the Saw producers rejected that idea and the script was reworked into what became The Collector.
Plot and setup
In the film, former convict and handyman Arkin O’Brien needs money to pay off loan sharks who are threatening his family. He attempts a robbery at the home of an old client, only to discover the family is already being held and tortured by a masked psychopath. The house is rigged with traps and booby traps, and Arkin must fight to survive and try to save the victims.
Tone, kills, and style
The Collector mixes jump scares with visually striking, staged kills. Unlike Jigsaw, the killer in this film does not frame his acts as moral lessons; instead, the backstory in the script indicates a disturbing childhood incident that the killer survived, which explains—on a plot level—why he targets families and collects survivors. The movie emphasizes escalating tension inside a single, trap-filled location.
Creators and later Saw involvement
Director Marcus Dunstan and co-writer Patrick Melton later joined the Saw franchise as screenwriters. Together, they wrote the screenplays for Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D, linking them professionally to the series even though The Collector itself was released independently from the Saw continuity.
Trailer and where to look
If you want to see footage from the film, there is an official trailer and clips available online.
Additionally, the film is often noted in seasonal roundups and Halloween watchlists as a lower-profile option for viewers who want trap-house horror rather than franchise entries. For brief context, this write-up was included in Polygon’s annual Halloween Countdown of horror recommendations.
