TAGGED AS: movies
(Photo by Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection)
One, two, Jigsaw’s coming for you.
Three, four, sinners hit the floor.
Five, six, swim in a needle pit.
Seven, eight, insane plot twists (really, just the craziest stuff out there) await.
Saw X: Jiggy’s here again!
Yes, John Kramer (aka Jigsaw aka mastermind of morality and gut-mucked mayhem) has orchestrated his return for Saw X (September 29). With the number of Saw movies now in the double digits, this puts Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) in the company of other horror icons like Freddy, Jason, and Mr. Myers. Not bad for a guy whose main power is being really good at Mouse Trap.
Whether you’re a veteran or new to Jigsaw’s modus operandi of punishing the wicked with grisly traps and ironic games, here’s how to watch the Saw movies in order, by release order or chronologically.
First, here’s the release order, which lets all the plot twists and timeline switcheroos (and there’s a lot) fly at you as originally made:
- Saw (2004)
- Saw II (2005)
- Saw III (2006)
- Saw IV (2007)
- Saw V (2008)
- Saw VI (2009)
- Saw: The Final Chapter (or Saw 7 3D) (2010)
- Jigsaw (2017)
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
- Saw X (2023)
Then below are the Saw movies by chronological order, lined up by the events as they unfolded in-universe. We’re gonna be avoiding spoilers here, but to answer the burning question: Saw X is set between the original Saw and Saw II.
Other major timeline tweaks the series made include Jigsaw mostly taking place before the first Saw (where we see Kramer enact one of his earliest traps), and Saw III and Saw IV actually taking place simultaneously.
And, of course, nearly every Saw movie has flashbacks which reveal more of how Kramer recruited his zealots (Shawnee Smith and Costas Mandylor), his family life with his wife (Betsy Russell), and his origin story. Turns out Jigsaw and Walter White should’ve started a podcast venting about health insurance. Can’t wait for the vanishing pension fund killer next!
#1
Jigsaw (2017) 33%
#1
Adjusted Score: 37190%
Critics Consensus: Jigsaw definitely won't win many converts to the Saw franchise, but for longtime fans, it should prove a respectably revolting -- if rarely scary -- diversion.
Synopsis: After a series of murders bearing all the markings of the Jigsaw killer, law enforcement officials find themselves chasing the... [More]
Starring: Tobin Bell, Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett
Directed By: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
#2
Saw (2004) 50%
#2
Adjusted Score: 56225%
Critics Consensus: Saw ensnares audiences with a deceptively clever plot and a myriad of memorable, nasty set pieces, but its lofty ambitions are undercut by a nihilistic streak that feels more mean than profound.
Synopsis: Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end... [More]
Starring: Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson
Directed By: James Wan
#3
Saw X (2023) 80%
#3
Adjusted Score: 87548%
Critics Consensus: Led by a franchise-best performance from Tobin Bell, Saw X reinvigorates the series with an installment that has a surprising amount of heart to go with all the gore.
Synopsis: John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most chilling installment of the SAW franchise yet explores the untold chapter of... [More]
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
#4
Saw II (2005) 37%
#4
Adjusted Score: 41160%
Critics Consensus: Saw II is likely to please the gore-happy fans of the original, though it may be too gruesome for those not familiar with first film's premise.
Synopsis: On the hunt for the twisted vigilante and serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) and his... [More]
Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Franky G
Directed By: Darren Bousman
#5
Saw III (2006) 29%
#5
Adjusted Score: 32311%
Critics Consensus: Saw III does little beyond repeating its predecessor's tropes on a gorier level.
Synopsis: Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) becomes a pawn in the Jigsaw Killer's (Tobin Bell) latest gory game. Kidnapped and taken... [More]
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Bahar Soomekh, Angus Macfadyen
Directed By: Darren Bousman
#6
Saw IV (2007) 18%
#6
Adjusted Score: 20706%
Critics Consensus: Saw IV is more disturbing than compelling, with material already seen in the prior installments.
Synopsis: During the autopsy of serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), a cassette tape is discovered in his stomach in which he... [More]
Starring: Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Costas Mandylor
Directed By: Darren Bousman
#7
Saw V (2008) 13%
#7
Adjusted Score: 15439%
Critics Consensus: If its plot were as interesting as its torture devices, or its violence less painful than its performances, perhaps Saw V might not feel like it was running on fumes.
Synopsis: As the apparently last disciple and heir apparent of Jigsaw, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) goes on the hunt to protect his... [More]
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell
Directed By: David Hackl
#8
Saw VI (2009) 39%
#8
Adjusted Score: 41307%
Critics Consensus: It won't earn the franchise many new fans, but Saw VI is a surprising step up for what has become an intricately grisly annual tradition.
Synopsis: With Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) still directing events from beyond the grave, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) emerges as the heir to the... [More]
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
#9
Saw: The Final Chapter (2010) 9%
#9
Adjusted Score: 11652%
Critics Consensus: Sloppily filmed, poorly acted, and illogically plotted, Saw 3D leaves viewers trapped in the most lackluster installment of the series.
Synopsis: As a fierce battle rages over Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) terrible legacy, survivors seek support from a fellow survivor and self-help... [More]
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
#10
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) 37%
#10
Adjusted Score: 48303%
Critics Consensus: Spiral: From the Book of Saw suggests an interesting new direction for the Saw franchise, even if the gory sum is rather less than its parts.
Synopsis: A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw.... [More]
Starring: Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Samuel L. Jackson, Marisol Nichols
Directed By: Darren Bousman
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