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The horror landscape was forever altered (and notably disturbed) when James Wan and Leigh Whannell brought the gruesome world of Saw movies to life. Saw movies combined the potential of puppets, reality show parodies, snuff films, and body horror in a cocktail that would go on to become one of the most iconic horror and meme’d franchises in history.
Over the next two decades or so, Saw would take fans on a convoluted journey through countless twists, retcons, and time-bending narratives that left us all scratching our heads. With the recent release of Saw X, it’s the perfect time to revisit these gruesome games.
With the timeline being as tangled as ever, here’s a recommended viewing method for Saw movies in order both chronologically and based on release date.
Watching the Saw Movies in order of release date
If you’re new to the world of Saw or haven’t seen the majority of the franchise, it might be best to start with the release order so that the B-movie shock value doesn’t wear off. The timeline may get a bit messy, but that’s part of the fun.
- Saw (2004)
- Saw II (2005)
- Saw III (2006)
- Saw IV (2007)
- Saw V (2008)
- Saw VI (2009)
- Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
- Jigsaw (2017)
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
- Saw X (2023)
With this watch order for the Saw movies, you’d get the usual experience that has built up for the fanbase over the years. But now that there are 10 movies available, another option would be to watch them based on the story’s timeline if you want it to look less twisted and less dizzying than found-footage horror films.
It’s mostly recommended for franchise veterans (even those who have omitted or missed some of the entries), but those who are new to Saw can also opt for such a watch order. Spoilers ahead for newbies, though.
Watching Saw Movies in chronological order
Now, if you’re a die-hard fan who wants to dive deep into the intricate web of Jigsaw’s mind games and don’t mind a few spoilers, here’s the chronological order of the Saw movies:
- Jigsaw (2017)
- Saw (2004)
- Saw X (2023)
- Saw II (2005)
- Saw III (2006)
- Saw IV (2007)
- Saw V (2008)
- Saw VI (2009)
- Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Below are explanations for this particular watch order.
Jigsaw (2017)
This film reveals one of John Kramer’s earliest games, which took place in a deadly barn in 2017, long before the events of the first Saw. Think of it as an origin story for Saw‘s main villain, Jigsaw.
Saw (2004)
The original film kicks off the main storyline, but flashbacks reveal that John Kramer had already recruited Amanda Young and Mark Hoffman by this point.
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The difference in cinematic fidelity and storytelling is a small price to pay for a more intimate and focused Saw storytelling.
Saw X (2023)
The recently released Saw X sheds light on John Kramer’s attempts to find a cure for his condition and disease, spotlighting his travel to Mexico for the endeavor. There, he meets con artists and gets fed up with them, deciding to turn the tables against them by channeling his inner Jigsaw.
Saw II (2005)
Detective Eric Matthews tries to find Jigsaw and save his son, but the actual game with eight people in a house filled with deadly gas took place a few days before John’s arrest.
Saw III (2006) or Saw IV (2007)
These two films take place simultaneously, six months after Saw II. We also learn about Jigsaw’s first victim, Cecil Adams.
Since they happen simultaneously, they might just be the most definitive representation of the trademark Saw convolutions. There’s also a big flashback for Saw IV detailing Jigsaw’s very first victim.
Saw V (2008)
Set shortly after Saw IV, it explores Hoffman’s involvement in creating a trap to look like a Jigsaw killing. It’s where the Jigsaw copycats started appearing. And ironically enough, the film was one of the lowest-rated entries in the Saw movies.
Saw VI (2009)
It’s a bit better than Saw V, and this film picks up a few days after that one. Saw VI delves into the backstory of William Easton, the health insurance executive.
More importantly, Saw VI saw an opportunity to become a commentary on the abusive and dysfunctional healthcare system of America, painting Jigsaw or John Kramer as some kind of semi-antihero or a necessary evil against such a corrupt institution. Apparently, this healthcare system is also what drove John Kramer to the edge.
Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
Occurring just weeks after Saw VI, this film introduces Bobby Dagen, who falsely claimed to have survived a Jigsaw game between Saw and Saw II. It’s yet again another commentary on false inspirational icons who use their fame for profit.
We also discover here that Dr. Lawrence Gordon survived the events of the first Saw and became a Jigsaw acolyte.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Spiral doesn’t specify the year, but it likely takes place a few years after the modern-day events in Jigsaw. Since the other half of Jigsaw is chronologically the latest in-movie timeline in the series (2017), that puts Spiral in the last spot.
Chris Rock stars here as a detective who must investigate the emergence of a new criminal mastermind whose methods are eerily reminiscent of past serial killers, notably Jigsaw.
Regardless of which watch order you pick for Saw movies, you get two decades of a somewhat unique take on horror.
