The Gore-Loving Psycho's Guide to Watching Every 'Saw' Movie
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Whether you love or hate them, scary movies are known for embracing the idea of long-running franchises. Paranormal Activity, Halloween, Scream, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre are all series that have stayed in the public eye for years, releasing reboots, reinventions, or sequels over the course of decades, hoping to lure in new generations of horror fans as the years pass. Saw X is now part of a genre tradition, marking the tenth film in the gory series.
Since 2004, Saw has delivered bloody, spine-chilling body horror created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell (the two are also known for their work on the Insidious franchise). In the first film, audiences met the creepy, ominous Jigsaw Killer, who kidnaps those he feels are wasting their lives or are committing wrongdoing, and then traps them in deadly, terrifying puzzles to teach them the error of their ways.
Now 20 years since the franchise's inception, it's worth looking back at all the Saw movies to get a good scope of where the overall plot is, and how the franchise has changed over time. Over the course of the series, stars like Ken Leung, Cary Elwes, and Donald Glover have taken part in the films. And of course, any fan knows actors Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith are mainstays, appearing in nearly every film. But where do newer additions like Jigsaw and Spiral fit into the mix? And what can we come to expect from the tenth film? We've got all the info you need below.
Here's how to watch the Saw film franchise in chronological order.
Saw (2004)
Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, and Ken Leung star in the first ever Saw movie, which also introduced Tobin Bell as the Jigsaw Killer, a man named John Kramer. The film is quite contained, focused on two men as they battle for their lives while detectives try to track down their kidnapper.
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Saw II (2005)
The second film stars Donnie Wahlberg and introduces Shawnee Smith as victim Amanda Young. It also is the first appearance of the franchise's well-known doll, Billy, which has become one of the most notable images of the series. The film ramps up the intensity, increasing the initial two victims to eight, who then have to work together to survive.
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Saw III (2006)
The third film spells the end of the original Jigsaw Killer's run. Amanda, now Jigsaw's apprentice, operates the games while also working to keep John alive, as he suffers from terminal cancer. It's one of the most brutal entries in the franchise, and features a pretty good twist at the end.
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Saw IV (2007)
The fourth Saw film is a departure from the first three, notably because its the first movie without the direct involvement of Leigh Whannell and James Wan as writers. Saw IV introduces a new era in the franchise, with a new group of detectives tasked with taking down the Jigsaw Killer, who is now Amanda with a new apprentice. The series still involves Bell, however, in flashbacks and backstory.
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Saw V (2008)
After the twist of the fourth film, we now know one of the detectives, Hoffman, is actually a secret Jigsaw apprentice. The fifth film is a cat and mouse game between cops and is less about teaching Jigsaw's victims a lesson and more about Hoffman avoiding capture. There's a weaker twist in this addition than in previous films.
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Saw VI (2009)
After escaping capture in the last installment, we meet Detective Hoffman again in Saw VI. The film sees Hoffman torturing a health insurance exec and his employees, while also going up against the Jigsaw Killer's ex-wife, Jill. It's a high point in the films four through six.
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Saw 3D (2010)
Cary Elwes makes a return in the middling Saw 3D (also known as Saw: The Final Chapter). The film follows a man who lied about surviving Jigsaw's traps to achieve fame, while also chronicling Hoffman's quest to avoid capture and find Jill. Saw 3D serves as the final installment of the Hoffman storyline and supposedly brings the entire franchise to a full circle close.
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Jigsaw (2017)
Seven years after Saw 3D, Jigsaw revives the Saw franchise with a new pair of writers. The film retcons a new Jigsaw apprentice from back when John Kramer was alive, but doesn't serve as a convincing reboot.
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Spiral (2021)
Spiral is the ninth film in the franchise, but serves as a spin-off in the series, likely as a way to ignore the mess of Jigsaw. Chris Rock stars as a detective searching for a copycat Jigsaw Killer. The film also does not feature Tobin Bell as an actor in the film, unlike previous installments.
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Saw X (2023)
Slotted in between Saw and Saw II, Saw X serves as a sequel to the first film and a prequel to the second. Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith reprise their roles as John Kramer travels to Mexico to search for a cure for his cancer.
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