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This article will show you how to watch Saw movies in chronological order. It doesn’t matter if you like or dislike them, scary movies tend to have long-running series. Some horror series, like Paranormal Activity, Halloween, Scream, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, have been around for a long time. They have all come out with reboots, remakes, or sequels over the years, hoping to attract new generations of horror fans. This is the tenth movie in the scary Saw series, so it has become part of a genre tradition.
Since 2004, James Wan and Leigh Whannell have been making bloody, spine-chilling body horror movies called Saw. Wan and Whannell are also known for their work on the Insidious series. In the first movie, the scary and creepy Jigsaw Killer was introduced. He kidnaps people he thinks are wasting their lives or doing wrong and then locks them in deadly, scary puzzles to teach them a lesson.
Since the first Saw movie came out 20 years ago, it’s worth watching all of them again to get a sense of where the story is going and how the franchise has changed over the years. Stars like Ken Leung, Cary Elwes, and Donald Glover have been in the movies over the course of the series. And of course, any fan knows that Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith are mainstay actors who show up in almost every movie. But what role do new games like Jigsaw and Spiral play in this? What can we look forward to in the tenth movie? Here how to watch Saw movies in chronological order.
What is the Saw franchise?
James Wan and Leigh Whannell are the filmmakers behind the Saw film series, which consists of a collection of American horror movies. The Jigsaw Killer is a serial killer who is depicted in these films. He is known by his alias, “Jigsaw Killer,” and his victims are people who he believes do not value their lives. He puts them in dangerous situations to see how well they can survive. In 2004, the first film in the Saw franchise was released, and it was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The popularity of the movie led to the creation of a film franchise, which currently consists of nine additional films, two video games, and a comic book series.
The Saw film series is well-known for its graphic depictions of violence as well as its convoluted and frequently unsettling narratives. Some people have criticized the films for the amount of violence that they contain, but others have praised them for their uniqueness and the suspenseful way in which they tell their stories. One of the most financially successful film series in the history of the horror genre is the Saw franchise. The movies have generated more than one billion dollars in revenue across the world and have attracted a large number of devoted followers.
How to watch Saw movies in chronological order
- Jigsaw (2017) Flashbacks: Although released after 2004’s Saw, the first half of this film’s runtime is set prior to the events of Saw.
- Saw (2004): The first film of the Saw franchise. The story follows two people Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon as they try to survive John Kramer’s deadly game.
- Saw X (2023): Interestingly, the upcoming film is only set weeks after Saw and sees John Kramer travel to Mexico after learning about a possible cure for his cancer, only to find himself caught in a fraudulent operation.
- Saw II (2005): Part of the film is set in the past and chronicles how John Kramer became Jigsaw. However, the rest of the film is set after Saw and Saw X.
- Saw III (2006) and Saw IV (2007): Both films take place at the same time, six months after Saw II. Saw III sees John Kramer try to keep himself alive in order to ensure his legacy lasts, while Saw IV’s story is set after Kramer’s death which is followed by a police investigation of his deadly game.
- Saw V (2009): A majority of the film’s runtime takes place after Saw IV following John Kramer’s death. However, his horrifying legacy lives on via his goons Jigsaw and Billy the Puppet.
- Saw VI (2010): This film only takes place days after Saw V. However, the film also has flashbacks to explain the deadly game played by Jigsaw’s victims during the story.
- Saw 3D (2010) or Saw: The Final Chapter: The film is set a few weeks after Saw VI. This film also has flashbacks set after Saw (2004) and shows Dr. Lawrence having survived Jigsaw’s death traps only to become one of Jigsaw’s new followers.
- Jigsaw (2017) Present-Day Events: While the first half of the film was set before the events of Saw, The second half of this film is set after Saw II and Saw III.
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw: This film follows the efforts of the police to stop a Jigsaw copycat killer.
Saw movies in release order
- Saw (2004)
- Saw II (2005)
- Saw III (2006)
- Saw IV (2007)
- Saw V (2008)
- Saw VI (2009)
- Saw 3D (2010)
- Jigsaw (2017)
- Spiral (2021)
- Saw X (2023)
Why watch the Saw movies in chronological order?
- Storyline Clarity: Watching the movies in chronological order can help you follow the storyline more cohesively. It allows you to see how the events in each film fit together and how the characters’ stories unfold over time.
- Character Development: You can better understand the evolution of key characters by observing their development in chronological order. This can make their motivations and actions more meaningful.
- Plot Connections: Some events in later movies may reference or tie back to events in earlier movies. Watching them chronologically helps you pick up on these connections more easily.
- Puzzle Unfolding: The Saw movies often feature intricate and interconnected plots. Watching them chronologically may enhance your ability to solve the puzzle and grasp the overarching narrative.
- A Different Perspective: If you’re a fan of the Saw franchise and have already watched the movies in their release order, watching them chronologically can offer a fresh perspective and a new way to engage with the story.
Conclusion
Saw began with a concept that was not overly complicated. In the low-budget horror film directed by James Wan in 2004, two men were chained inside of a filthy bathroom. A terrifying puppet with the voice of Tobin Bell instructed the men to “play a game,” which was a very straightforward request. The series descended further and further into insanity over the course of its nine sequels and nineteen years of production.
The lore of the Saw series became increasingly confusing with each new installment thanks to a never-ending series of twists, retcons, and time travel shenanigans. As a result, the story of the Jigsaw killer became its own uniquely perverse and convoluted game. Considering the release of yet another sequel, Saw X, you’re probably thinking about giving the original film another watch, which…doesn’t immediately clear up the timeline as much as you think it does.
Questions and Answers
The films are not quite in order of when they were made for a number of reasons. The movies don’t go in a straight line; they have a lot of flashback and forward scenes. So, Jigsaw shows up in movies that happen after he died, like Saw III.
One of the most successful horror movie series of all time is Saw. The show is about John “Jigsaw” Kramer, a made-up serial killer, and his apprentices. Kramer was briefly shown in Saw, but he was shown in more detail in Saw II and the movies that came after it.
Saw 2 is very bloody and gory, but not very scary. If you liked the first movie, you should still see this one, mostly because of Donnie Wahlberg and Tobin Bell’s great acting and a shocking turn of events, but you will be let down overall.