Saw Reviews: Our Verdict on Every Film

Saw reviews on Cinvibe rate the series by how well each film uses its central idea: a victim, a rule and a clock. In my opinion, Saw (2004) is the best, Saw II is the best sequel, and Saw X is the best late entry.

If you are new to the series and want the full list first, start with saw movies or the saw movies in order guide. For a numbered countdown rather than short verdicts, see saw movies ranked.

Yes, if you can handle graphic violence and you enjoy a tight, rule based thriller, the first film and its best sequels are worth your time. The series is not for everyone, and the later entries are uneven. My advice is to watch Saw (2004), then Saw II, then decide whether you want more. Each film is rated R in the US and 18 in the UK.

Saw (2004), directed by James Wan, is a chamber piece. Photographer Adam, played by Leigh Whannell, and oncologist Lawrence Gordon, played by Cary Elwes, wake chained by the ankle in a filthy bathroom with a dead man between them. A tape tells Lawrence to kill Adam by 6:00 or his wife and daughter die. It is a clever setup, and the film mostly keeps to it. Tobin Bell, billed third as Jigsaw, spent six days lying on the floor for the shoot, according to TheWrap, and his stillness is more unsettling than most of what the sequels would throw at him.

The production was tiny. The film cost $1.2 million, took about 18 days to shoot, and grew out of a short film. Lions Gate bought the worldwide rights before its Sundance midnight screening, according to Screen Daily. It then earned about $104 million worldwide, so it was a hit by any measure. The handheld camerawork and rough edges suit the story. Verdict: the best of the run, and the one to start with.

Saw II, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, moves from a room to a house filling with nerve gas, with eight captives and Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) forced to sit and talk with John Kramer while his teenage son Daniel is inside. The conversation scenes between Wahlberg and Bell carry the film, and the traps feel like pressure on a family drama. It cost $4 million according to Box Office Mojo (The Numbers lists $5 million) and made about $148 million worldwide. Verdict: the sequel that understood what made the first work.

Saw 3 is the series' biggest earner, at about $165 million worldwide on a $10 million budget. It follows Kerry, played by Dina Meyer, who is kidnapped and put into a harness hooked into her ribs. I find it the most punishing entry, with long stretches of cruelty and a story that mostly serves the traps. Verdict: a hit at the box office, a chore for me.

Saw 4 opens with Jigsaw's autopsy and a tape recorder found inside the body. That is a great hook. The film then spends its running time on a timeline puzzle that asks you to remember the previous three. It opened to an estimated $32.1 million, just under Saw III's $33.6 million debut, and this is where, in my opinion, the series started getting bad. Verdict: for completists only.

Saw 5, directed by David Hackl, follows Detective Mark Hoffman being hailed as a hero while Agent Peter Strahm starts to doubt him. Five strangers face a series of tests in a grim facility. It earned about $114 million worldwide. The detective thread is the better half of the film. Verdict: patchy.

Saw 6, directed by Kevin Greutert, is the one I would defend. Insurance executive William Easton is pulled into games built around his company denying medical coverage, which gives the traps a target with a point. It was also the lowest earner of the main films, at about $68 million worldwide on an $11 million budget. Verdict: a better film than its numbers suggest.

Saw 3D, directed by Kevin Greutert, brings back Cary Elwes as Dr. Gordon and sets a trap for self help author Bobby Dagen, who became famous by lying about surviving a Jigsaw game. Chester Bennington appears in the cast. It made about $134 million worldwide. The 3D gimmick is thin, but the Bobby Dagen idea is smart. Verdict: a loud, uneven finale.

Jigsaw 2017, directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, is set ten years after Saw: The Final Chapter (released as Saw 3D). Five strangers wake in a barn with buckets on their heads and chains around their necks, and a recording in John Kramer's voice sets the rules. The Spierigs did not write the film, according to The AU Review, and the plot feels like a puzzle built to hit a twist. It earned about $103 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. Verdict: competent, forgettable.

Spiral saw, the spin-off directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, starts with a figure in a pig mask on the Fourth of July and a victim killed by a subway train. Chris Rock (who has a story credit) plays Detective Zeke Banks, with Samuel L. Jackson as his father. It cost $20 million and made about $41 million worldwide. I think it is more interesting than its reputation, though the traps take a back seat to the dialogue. Verdict: worth a look if you like cop dramas.

Saw X, directed by Kevin Greutert, is set between Saw (2004) and Saw II. John Kramer learns he has terminal brain cancer and travels to a clinic outside Mexico City hoping to be cured. Tobin Bell, billed first, plays Kramer as a man with real vulnerability. The traps rely on prosthetics from Fractured FX and handheld camerawork, according to No Film School. It cost $13 million and earned about $125 million worldwide according to The Numbers. At 118 minutes it is also the longest film in the series. Verdict: the best of the late run, and my third favorite overall.

Saw is built on dread and discomfort more than jump scares. The films set a trap, explain its rules and let you watch the victim work out a price. The violence is graphic and the cruelty is plain, so expect to look away. If you want creature scares, this is the wrong series. If you want tension with a clock, it is the right one.

Saw is a hit. Every main film earned back its budget several times over, and even the weakest earner, Saw VI, made about $68 million on $11 million. The one real stumble is Spiral, which made about $41 million on a $20 million budget. For the full numbers, see the saw box office page.

The next Saw film is in development, and its official title has not been confirmed. According to TheWrap on September 24, 2026, Lionsgate and Blumhouse Atomic Monster announced Mike P. Nelson as director, with James Wan, Jason Blum and Leigh Whannell producing. TheWrap calls the film Saw 11, and no release date has been announced. Follow saw 11 for updates.

If you are unsure where to begin, where to watch saw lists current streaming options in the US, UK and Australia.