 |
|
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 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)
Tomatometer: 32%
Audience Score: 84%
Synopsis: After a series of murders bearing all the markings of the Jigsaw killer, law enforcement officials find themselves chasing the ghost of a man who has been dead for over a decade, and they become embroiled in a new game that's only just begun. Is John Kramer back from the dead to remind the world to be grateful for the gift of life? Or is this a trap set by a killer with designs of his own?
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.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett
Directed By: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
2. Saw (2004)
Tomatometer: 50%
Audience Score: 84%
Synopsis: Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon's wife (Monica Potter) and young daughter (Makenzie Vega) are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.
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.
Starring: Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson
Directed By: James Wan
3. Saw X (2023)
Synopsis: John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most chilling installment of the SAW franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw's most personal game. Set between the events of SAW I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer -- only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, John returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through a series of ingenious and terrifying traps.
Critics Consensus: None yet
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
4. Saw II (2005)
Tomatometer: 37%
Audience Score: 59%
Synopsis: On the hunt for the twisted vigilante and serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) and his team must apprehend the elusive murderer to rescue eight people trapped in an abandoned house, before they succumb to his torturous and murderous games. One twist to this task is that Matthews' own son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen), is among the eight people Jigsaw has chosen to test for their lack of morality. With nerve gas pumping through the house, every second counts.
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.
Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Franky G
Directed By: Darren Bousman
5. Saw III (2006)
Tomatometer: 30%
Audience Score: 71%
Synopsis: Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) becomes a pawn in the Jigsaw Killer's (Tobin Bell) latest gory game. Kidnapped and taken to an abandoned warehouse, she finds Jigsaw bedridden and dying. Her task is to keep the maniac alive long enough for Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), a fellow victim, to complete his own task. Each is unaware that Jigsaw has much bigger -- and deadlier -- plans in store.
Critics Consensus: Saw III does little beyond repeating its predecessor's tropes on a gorier level.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Bahar Soomekh, Angus Macfadyen
Directed By: Darren Bousman
6. Saw IV (2007)
Tomatometer: 18%
Audience Score: 62%
Synopsis: During the autopsy of serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), a cassette tape is discovered in his stomach in which he warns that his gory games will continue. Sure enough, SWAT Lt. Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent) is forced to follow a blood-drenched trail of torture, dismemberment and death in order to find two missing colleagues. A pair of FBI profilers follow Riggs, suspecting he might be Jigsaw's accomplice, even as they unlock the puzzle of the killer's origins, seen in gruesome flashbacks.
Critics Consensus: Saw IV is more disturbing than compelling, with material already seen in the prior installments
Starring: Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Costas Mandylor
Directed By: Darren Bousman
7. Saw V (2008)
Tomatometer: 13%
Audience Score: 52%
Synopsis: As the apparently last disciple and heir apparent of Jigsaw, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) goes on the hunt to protect his secret. Using a series of increasingly bizarre and grisly traps, Hoffman eliminates his enemies one by one to protect the Jigsaw legacy.
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.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell
Directed By: David Hackl
8. Saw VI (2009)
Tomatometer: 39%
Audience Score: 47%
Synopsis: With Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) still directing events from beyond the grave, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) emerges as the heir to the killer's twisted legacy. But as the FBI closes in, Hoffman sets in motion a game that is designed to reveal Jigsaw's grand scheme.
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.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
9. Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
Tomatometer: 9%
Audience Score: 41%
Synopsis: As a fierce battle rages over Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) terrible legacy, survivors seek support from a fellow survivor and self-help guru, who has a few dark secrets of his own. Meanwhile, crooked cop Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) seeks revenge against Jigsaw's wife and an author who has his own story.
Critics Consensus: Sloppily filmed, poorly acted, and illogically plotted, Saw: The Final Chapter leaves viewers trapped in the most lackluster installment of the series.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
10. Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Tomatometer: 37%
Audience Score: 75%
Synopsis: A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw. Working in the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city's gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer's morbid game.
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.
Starring: Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Samuel L. Jackson, Marisol Nichols
Directed By: Darren Bousman
