A year before "Final Destination," Sawa cut his horror teeth in the film "Idle Hands," a horror comedy about a teenage burnout and his mysteriously demon-possessed hand. Sawa played the film's main character, Anton Tobias. Although the movie had an uninspired run at the box office — grossing just south of $4.2 million on a $25 million budget — it ultimately achieved cult status. "Idle Hands" had a lot going for it, including iconic cast members like Jessica Alba, Seth Green, and Vivica A. Fox. In 2021, Sawa told CNN that the "Idle Hands" cast wasn't afraid to get weird with their performances. "We didn't hesitate to go there," he stated. "We didn't think, 'What are people going to think?' We were ready, [director] Rodman [Flender], me, and the entire cast were completely original, completely wacky — create this whole world and not care what people are going to think."

In 2022, Sawa performed a skit as Anton Tobias on his Instagram page. The actor captured all of Anton's most memorable quirks — he even feigned an attack from his own hand. The star gave a shout out to his "Idle Hands" co-stars, telling followers, "God, I miss them all." Sawa also seems to be missing Anton Tobias, because he's been open about his desire to reprise the role. In 2022, the actor told Us Magazine, "I've also wanted to revisit Anton Tobias from 'Idle Hands.'"