The Saw franchise has accumulated a cult following within thehorrorcommunity over the past 20 years (yes, Saw will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024), and the tenth installment has recently become a hit with fans, old and new.
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James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s creation dominates the “torture porn” subgenre, as fans wait on tenterhooks every entry for the final twist to be revealed accompanied by Charlie Clouser’s iconic Zepp theme, but some entries scratch the itch more than others. Here’s every Saw movie ranked.
Sitting in last place is Spiral: From the Book of Saw, which brought comedian Chris Rock into a deadly serious role as Detective Zeke Banks alongside Max Minghella’s partner, who both investigate a series of grisly murders in Jigsaw’s fashion—even though Billy the Puppet and John Kramer (Tobin Bell) were nowhere to be found.
Ultimately, this ninth entry was too far removed from Jigsaw’s story and took itself too seriously to be on par with the other bombastic entries we’ve become accustomed to. Furthermore, nobody wanted to see Mr. Snuggles replace Billy, awarding this entry a low rank.
9Saw 3D (Saw: The Final Chapter)
Perhaps the most forgettable entry in the franchise is the seventh Saw movie, dubbed “The Final Chapter,” and given the added 3D gimmick to help it sell. It’s surprising that this installment failed to impress, given the return of Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and John’s wife Jill (Betsy Russell), alongside apprentice Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor).
Saw 3D followed a new character, Bobby (Sean Patrick Flanery), who made a living out of being a fake Jigsaw survivor before becoming trapped in one for real. This entry arrived during a bout of Saw fatigue after the six-entry stint and failed to reach the heights of other chapters higher on this list—but at least we got a cameo from the late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington.
After a seven-year hiatus, Saw made a comeback in 2017 with the eighth installment returning the voice of John Kramer to the torture barn, and it introduced yet another retcon into the timeline to fill in the blanks.
The biggest accolade for Jigsaw is its higher budget that presented fantastic-looking gore and less B-movie grunge. The traps and overall story are still not memorable enough to make waves on this list, and therefore, it remains in the low ranks—but at least they had the sense to include Billy in this modern entry.
Saw VI opened with Tanedra Howard, the winner of the reality television show Scream Queens, claiming her prize with a big-screen debut in one of Jigsaw’s traps. What followed was a game orchestrated by John’s successor, Hoffman, while the FBI reopened the case to find the killer’s apprentice.
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The narrative also puts an insurance executive, who once rejected John’s medical claim, in the middle of a trap, who does his best to save the others involved, rendering him a likable protagonist. It’s not the height of the franchise, nor the low, which gives it a middle ranking.
The fifth entry sees the return of Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson), who begins a game of cat and mouse with Hoffman. We also spend a good amount of time digging into Hoffman’s backstory, including the autopsy of John.
Meanwhile, the main game sees a group of people working together to survive the trials, and this setup is reminiscent of Saw II without being as thrilling. Nevertheless, Saw V is valuable for advancing John’s legacy and is a solid middle-place entry in the list that stands tall above the previous ones.
Taking fifth place is Saw IV, which was the first installment in the franchise after the death of John Kramer. It sees the return of Donnie Wahlberg’s Detective Eric Matthews from the second movie, stuck in a trap with Hoffman.
Not only did this movie feature the head-splitting ice block trap, but it also introduced new player Strahm and revealed Hoffman as John’s successor in one of the franchise’s high-octane twists. This entry had a lot riding on it after Jigsaw’s death, but the climax confirming John’s legacy was continuing packed a punch and deserves a higher place in the list.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty, we have Saw III in fourth place, which includes some of the franchise’s most iconic traps, including the rib separator and the pig vat. The narrative advances significantly while John is on his deathbed, and his father/daughter relationship with Amanda (Shawnee Smith) is touching—despite the circumstances.
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Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) is also tasked with performing surgery on John against her will in a final attempt to save him. However, her efforts are in vain, and she succumbs to the explosive trap around her neck, delivering one of the most heart-racing climaxes in the franchise and a worthy place in the high ranks.
Landing in third place for its grungy quality and house of horrors vibe is Saw II, which increased the players in Jigsaw’s initial two-man game significantly and introduced Eric Matthews working on the outside.
Amanda also returned in this sequel as a player (even though she was revealed to be an accomplice in the end) while the other prisoners stabbed each other in the back to survive. While it didn’t reach the heights of its predecessor, it still upped the ante when it came to the traps, including the needle pit.
It may come as a surprise to see the recently released Saw X take second place, but this 2023 gore fest is just that good. Saw 3D director Kevin Greutert returns to deliver the longest entry in the franchise and reveals more characters that did wrong by John during his fight against cancer.
Not only did this entry return Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith to the forefront, but it also took the franchise back to its roots and reignited the sympathy we have for the sadistic mastermind while showcasing some of the goriest traps we’ve seen in the franchise. Saw X’s climax is also a return to form after Jigsaw and Saw 3D’s disappointment.
It’s hard to imagine any subsequent Saw movie reaching the standard of the original, let alone overtaking its first-place ranking. Saw X added an air of sophistication to the franchise, but the first Saw movie is just brilliant, albeit macabre, in its concept.
What was marketed as a torture porn cheap thrill turned out to have applaudable substance, investable characters, and one gut-punching score. James Wan only helmed the first of the franchise, which is probably why it stands as the best and continues to be one of the most gripping horror movies to date.
