Saw movies ranked: The best and worst films of the franchise

Friday 29 September 2023 by Jonathan Victoria  Features

There’s some good and there’s some bad but overall, the Saw franchise is one of the leading horror movie series in terms of grotesque nature.

With a 10th addition to the family out today, we have taken a look back at the previous films and bring you the Saw films ranked.

1. Saw (2004)

The first film in the franchise that kicked it all off absolutely has to be number one. Saw had no business starting a whole franchise, being premiered as a low-budget mystery at Sundance.

It's a tightly-paced, suspenseful thriller with a clever twist ending and introduces audiences to the characters of John ‘Jigsaw’ Kramer and Billy the creepy puppet.

2. Saw II (2005)

Building upon the strengths of the first film, Saw II expands on the mythology of the Jigsaw character and introduces some new and interesting twists to the formula.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman was fairly unknown when they signed up for the movie. Given that he went on to direct the next two movies and then Spiral later on, it’s fair to say he did a pretty good job in his first outing.

3. Saw VI (2009)

Saw VI is a return to form for the franchise after a few disappointing sequels. The film features a complex and well-written plot, as well as some of the most creative and gruesome traps in the series.

4. Saw III (2006)

Saw III marks the end of the less convoluted character arcs and carries on the theme of coming up with ever-increasingly flashy games.

It does start to lose itself with the differing stories and it is best to simply watch this film for the games and not get too bogged down in the fading storylines.

5. Spiral (2021)

Spiral is another different take on the Saw franchise. It features a new cast of characters and a standalone story that doesn't rely on knowledge of the previous films.

Iconic comedy actor Chris Rock seemed like an interesting choice for a role in the franchise, and while he does work in a way that hasn’t been seen before in any of the previous films, Spiral suffers from promising but not delivering.

6. Jigsaw (2017)

What should’ve been a welcome return to the franchise after seven years away turned out to be a bit of an unremarkable reboot.

The concept is good - Jigsaw is believed dead but suddenly more murders that fit his MO occur - but the delivery isn't quite there, producing a somewhat disappointing comeback.

7. Saw IV (2007)

Saw IV and Saw V fall so low on our list due to their failed attempts to follow the great start of the first three films.

Saw IV still captures some of the essence of the previous entries, but a lack of iconic traps really lets the film down.

8. Saw V (2008)

One specific horrifically gruesome trap helps to make Saw V more memorable, but unfortunately, Saw V suffers from a convoluted plot and underdeveloped characters.

Once again, a concept for a decent movie is there, but the execution was so far from something good.

9. Saw 3D (2010)

The weakest entry in the franchise, Saw 3D forgettable and disappointing conclusion to the original Saw trilogy. The film features a rushed plot, severely underdeveloped characters, and some of the most over-the-top traps in the series.

Saw films on Sky Cinema

With Saw X out in cinemas today, Sky has treated fans of the series by making all the previous films (except Spiral) available to watch on Sky Cinema.

You don't have to watch the others in the franchise before you go watch the latest one, but the great thing is you can if you want to.

Check out the current Sky Cinema deals now to get yourself sorted with some brilliant movies.