Director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell, arguably, changed horror genre and, undeniably, jumpstarted one of the most endurable and influential horror movie franchises in recent memory with the first installment of the Saw movies in 2004. By fusing themes of detective noir fiction with the tone and viscera of French horror cinema's controversial New Extremity movement, they created a clever, suspenseful, and unforgettably shocking thriller unlike anything the world had seen before.
The following eight installments (and counting) would continue to follow the horrifying challenges of morally corrupt serial killer (a term used loosely here) John "Jigsaw" Kramer (Tobin Bell) and that of the apprentices who sought to uphold his legacy with increasingly elaborate death traps -- which, arguably, the sequels become a little more preoccupied with. However, we cannot deny that we are curious what "games" are in store for the forthcoming tenth installment, Saw X, which is heading to theaters in October 2023. As we wait for the one of the most anticipated upcoming horror movies, let's relive its predecessors on streaming or as digital rentals.
Saw (2004)
Based on their short film of the same name, director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell’s breakout feature follows two men (Cary Elwes, Whannell) who wake up trapped and chained up in a disgusting abandoned bathroom and try to figure out what led to their kidnapping as they struggle to find a way out alive. As a fun brainteaser that keeps you guessing until its brutal, twisted finale, Saw is, arguably, one of the best horror movies of its time and, certainly, one of the most influential.
Stream Saw on Amazon Prime (opens in new tab).
Stream Saw on Tubi.
Stream Saw on Pluto TV.
Rent (or buy) Saw on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Saw II (2005)
In the first follow-up, a detective (Donnie Wahlberg) successfully locates the elusive Jigsaw, but must figure out where he is keeping his next set of victims — one of which is his own teenage son — before it is too late. Darren Lynn Bousman takes over the franchise as co-writer and director for the first of many times with Saw II — which is just about as suspenseful and subversive as the first, but certainly ups the ante on the gore.
Stream Saw II on Pluto TV.
Rent (or buy) Saw II on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Saw III (2006)
While an ailing Jigsaw forces a doctor he recently abducted (Bahar Soomekh) to keep him alive for as long as possible, the captor’s latest apprentice and one-time victim, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), puts a grieving father (Angus MacFayden) through a horrifying test of morality. Picking up directly where Saw II left off, Saw III sees Bousman returning to the director’s chair alongside Whannell as the screenwriter.
Stream Saw III on Pluto TV.
Rent (or buy) Saw III on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Saw IV (2007)
Even beyond death, Jigsaw is still causing people distress — namely a pair of FBI agents (Gilmore Girls cast member Scott Patterson and Athena Karkanis) who must search for answers in the killer’s remains and a SWAT commander (Lyriq Bent) on a race against time to save them. For Bousman’s fourth time at the helm of the franchise, Saw IV got a new set of writers in the form of Feast scribes Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan.
Stream Saw IV on Pluto TV.
Rent (or buy) Saw IV on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Saw V (2008)
Five new victims are put to the test under the tutelage of Jigsaw’s new successor, Det. Lt. Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), whom Agent Strahm (Patterson) intends to bring to justice. Melton and Dunstan are back as the writers of Saw V, but at the helm this time is first-time director David Hackl, who would also go on to direct an all-star cast in 2015’s Into the Grizzly Maze.
Stream Saw V on Pluto TV.
Rent (or buy) Saw V on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Saw VI (2009)
Mark Hoffman continues to honor Jigsaw’s legacy as the FBI draws nearer to closing in on his operation as he attempts to bring a group of crooked insurance executives to justice in his own twisted way in Saw VI. Kevin Greutert, who worked as an editor on the previous five chapters, makes his feature-length directorial debut with this installment that introduces a unique new set of traps into the mix, including one derived from a child’s playground merry-go-round.
Stream Saw VI on Pluto TV.
Rent (or buy) Saw VI on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
Cary Elwes reprises his role as Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the seventh film in the franchise, which follows a self-help guru (Sean Patrick Flanery) whose fabricated claims of being a Jigsaw survivor lead him to be put in the hot seat for real. Helmed by returning director Greutert and originally released in 3D, Saw: The Final Chapter was marketed as the last installment of the series, which, of course, did not turn to be the case.
Stream Saw: The Final Chapter on Pluto TV.
Rent (or buy) Saw: The Final Chapter on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Jigsaw (2017)
Despite being dead for more than a decade, John Kramer — the sadistic abductor otherwise known as Jigsaw — becomes the prime suspect when a new series of horrific deaths via elaborate traps turn up. The Spierig Brothers divert from the sci-fi genre in a new attempt to reinvent the gory franchise with Jigsaw, which certainly has some of the most inventive traps yet.
Stream Jigsaw on Peacock (opens in new tab).
Rent (or buy) Jigsaw on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Spiral (2021)
Det. Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) investigates a series of deaths that seem to a suggest that a new criminal mastermind is on the loose, following in the footsteps of Jigsaw. Darren Lynn Bousman returns to the franchise for Spiral, which not only stars Rock, would came from the mind of the comedian, who also produces the ninth installment that was largely inspired by the acclaimed thriller from David Fincher, Se7en.
Rent (or buy) Spiral on Amazon (opens in new tab).
Congratulations. You have survived the first nine Saw movies. Now, all we can do is wait and see what new, terrifying games are set to commence when Saw X hits theaters on Friday, October 27, 2023. Until then, game over.
