With Jigsaw hitting theaters this past weekend, the first Saw movie since 2010, it got me thinking on which movies were the best and worst in the franchise. To my surprise, Jigsaw was one of the better Saw films. It may have only been made so the studio could see how many fans were left, but now I’m wondering where they go from here. There is definitely a chance they could make a few more movies, which is shocking because of how convoluted the plot and timeline ultimately got over the last few films. Below is all of the Saw films ranked from worst to best.
8. Saw 3D: The Final Chapter
I love when a movie in the franchise is called “The Final Chapter”, but it is not the final chapter at all. Actually on second thought, I hate it and its very annoying, much like this film was. Saw 3D: The Final Chapter was easily the most sloppy and worst film in the franchise. As a viewer, you just got the vibe that no one cared about how this movie was made.
7. Saw V
I honestly remember hoping that they would end the franchise with Saw V. After seeing it in theaters in 2008, I realized then that the writers had no clue where they were actually going in the franchise. The writing was lazy and everything felt forced. However, the traps were pretty creative and the entertainment was definitely there.
6. Saw IV
By the time we got to Saw IV, the formula on how a Saw film was supposed to be made had been thoroughly established. I personally liked Saw IV because it was the first film after John Kramer’s (Tobin Bell) death and the screenplay still functioned decently without him. He was in plenty of flashbacks but the franchise had done a good job familiarising us with the new characters, so it helped us care about their journey through Jigsaw’s gruesome traps. The main problem with Saw IV is that it felt extremely formulaic and the plot was beginning to get convoluted.
5. Saw VI
Saw VI surprised me when it came out mainly because I figured we were so deep in the franchise that it would be a mess. This is one of the few later Saw films that had a plot twist that actually made sense. Sure, the traps were pretty repetitive at this point; but the screenplay was pretty good for Saw standards.
4. Saw II
Saw II is one of the better sequels in a horror franchise since 2000. It did a really good job of expanding on the story of John Kramer and expanding on the location. I love how the first Saw film takes place in one room and Saw II takes place in a house. It is only a slightly bigger location than the first film and overall that aspect was very pleasing.
3. Jigsaw
This is the one on my list that actually shocked me with how good it was. I went into it thinking it was just a quick cash grab for Lionsgate and no one would actually care about it. I’m here to say that Jigsaw is a respectable entry in the Saw franchise and is the best Saw film since 2006. It still has some unrealistic scenarios and awful acting, but that’s what makes a Saw movie good in the end. It is still in theaters so go check it out!
2. Saw III
Saw III is truly a perfect end to what could have been a great trilogy. It is crazy to think that we could have only had a Saw trilogy instead of 8 movies (and counting). Saw III had some great twists and turns, plus some of the most memorable traps and scenes in the franchise. The ending had me shocked and begging for more while also wanting the series to end. I still wish to this day that the writers would have kept it to only three movies…
1. Saw
Of course Saw had to be #1 on this list. Can you blame me, though? It is one of the best original independent films to ever come out and it truly changed the horror genre and basically created a new torture genre. Everything was so new and the twist at the end was LEGENDARY. I still get chills to this day during the last 5 minutes of Saw.