First launched in 2004, theSawfranchise has provided audiences with visceral thrills for nearly 20 years. Centered on serial killer John Kramer, also known as the “Jigsaw Killer,” the franchise was home to one of the most iconic movie villains of all time. While mostSawfilms have received not-so-great reviews, audiences have shown that they can’t get enough of the franchise.
With the release ofSaw X, the franchise has reached the 10-film-mark and still hasmore movies on the way.Sawhas grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, becoming one of only five horror franchises to accomplish the box office feat. Here are all ten films in the franchise, ranked by their performance at the box office.
10Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) — $40.6 Million
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw.
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The ninth installment in theSawfranchise,Spiral: From the Book of Saw, starred Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella, and Marisol Nichols. Unlike theSawfilms that preceded it,Spiralplaced a detective story front and center. The Jigsaw Killer was dead, but his legacy lived on in the form of a copycat killer. Detective Zeke Banks (Rock) was challenged to find the killer’s identity and quickly put an end to their killing spree.
What Makes It Great
The deviation in style, tone, and narrative structure did not connect with manySawfans. It was for that reason thatSpiralbecame the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise, in addition to the word “Saw” almost being absent from the title of the film. With that being said,Spiralsimultaneously offered something new and still honored the spirit of the original franchise.
Producer Mark Burg stated that he was proud of the film, but the underwhelming reception and box office performance prompted him to alter the future of the franchise.Saw Xwas made directly afterSpiralbecause fans were not too keen on the film, as evidenced by its low box office gross of $40.6 million.
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9Saw VI (2009) — $69.8 Million
Detective Hoffman attempted to fill Jigsaw’s shoes inSaw VI, continuing his predecessor’s brutal game. Health insurance executive William Easton was selected as a new player and forced to fight for the lives of his employees.Saw VIsaw Hoffman evading the FBI after failing to use the deceased Strahm to cover his tracks.
Saw VIgave audiences what they asked for: a gruesome, gory, andvery violent film. William was one of the best leading characters in the franchise, shown to be a flawed individual who tapped into his selfless side while playing Hoffman’s game. He endured great pain to save people when many others in the franchise have primarily been concerned with saving their own skins. Coming in ninth place,Saw VIgrossed $69.8 million at the box office.
8Saw X (2023) — $95.8 Million+
Taking notes fromStar Wars' playbook of wedging a new story in between films,Saw Xfeatured the return of Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw. The tenth installment was set in betweenSawandSaw II, allowing Jigsaw to be there in the flesh and not limited to flashbacks and video recordings. Requiring an experimental procedure to cure his cancer, John Kramer traveled to Mexico to receive treatment only to discover that the operation was a scam. In an act of revenge (or what Kramer viewed as justice), Jigsaw unleashed his death traps on the medical team.
Easily one of the betterSawfilms,Saw Xwas a welcome return to form. It constructed a strong character-driven revenge story that served as a great expansion of Jigsaw himself. The film thrilled audiences with new death traps and the return of Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young. Jigsaw has obviously been the face of theSawfranchise, and it wasSaw Xwhere Tobin Bell delivered a career-best performance. As of this writing, the film is still playing in theaters, but now that it’s available on VOD, it’s current box office gross of $95.8+ million will likely being to plateau.
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7Saw (2004) — $103.9 Million
Before James Wan co-created theInsidiousfranchise and createdThe ConjuringUniverse, he made his directorial debut with the small horror film known asSaw. The film began with Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell) waking up in a filthy bathroom, where they learned they had become unwilling participants of a deadly “game.” The game was organized by the Jigsaw Killer, who created the most stressful environment imaginable for his victims.
Sawwas the film that started it all. It presented an original concept so effective that it was carried through nine more films. The 2004 film grossed $103.9 million worldwide, becoming the biggest horror film since 1996’sScream. Clever, suspenseful, and disturbing,Sawchanged the future of horror in cinema.
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Saw Producers Keep the Original’s Bathroom Set Standing Due to Observant Fans
The Saw X director revealed that the set is “still sitting in the abandoned factory where we shot the film” so it can be used for future movies.
6Jigsaw (2017) — $104.2 Million
Despite being dead for over a decade, Jigsaw continued to haunt new victims from beyond the grave.Jigsaw, the eighth film in theSawfranchise, played with audience expectations regarding how the titular killer could have resurfaced. As people continued to die as if Jigsaw were still alive, the police conducted a new investigation to uncover the truth about the games.
There was an interesting twist inJigsawthat rewarded fans' knowledge of the previousSawfilms. The movie’s use of two distant timeframes gave viewers a puzzle to solve as they watched the usual mayhem unfold. The film concluded its box office run with a total gross of $104.2 million.
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5Saw V (2008) — $118.2 Million
Kramer’s death left Detective Lieutenant Mark Hoffman to protect Jigsaw’s secrets inSaw V. Agent Strahm’s investigation brought him too close to the truth, marking him as a priority target for Hoffman to eliminate. Whether they knew too much or were deemed unworthy to live, Hoffman utilized new methods to take the lives of his victims.
Anexciting cat-and-mouse dynamicbetween Agent Strahm and Detective Hoffman distinguishedSaw Vfrom other films in the series. The lack of Jigsaw was unfortunate, but provided an opportunity to understand the inner workings of Hoffman’s mind. With a box office gross of $118.2 million,Saw Vwas the highest-grossing horror film in 2008.
4Saw 3D (2010) — $136.2 Million
Saw 3Dwas the seventh film in theSawfranchise and was incorrectly advertised as the “Final Chapter.” Bobby Dagen served as the protagonist ofSaw 3D, a celebrity guru who lied about having survived Jigsaw’s games. Hoffman entered Dagen into the games while going after Jigsaw’s ex-wife for exposing his activities.
Saw 3Dwas intended to be the final film in the series at the time of its release, so it wrapped up Hoffman’s story quite nicely. The sense of finality prevented the film from feeling like just another regular installment in the franchise. The former “final chapter” grossed $136.2 million and was the fourth highest-grossingSawfilm.
3Saw IV (2007) — $139.4 Million
Saw IVwas the firstSawfilm to be set after the death of the Jigsaw Killer. John Kramer, however, had prepared for his games to continue in the event of his death. Indeed, a cassette tape was found in his stomach that announced that the games had only “just begun.”
Like many other films that came off the heels of a trilogy,Saw IVhad to work around the previous films' villain being dead.Saw IVfound a way by exploring Kramer’s backstory andrevealing a Jigsawapprentice in the film’s climax. Grossing $139.4 million,Saw IVbecame the third highest-grossing installment in theSawfranchise.
2Saw II (2005) — $152.9 Million
Jigsaw exposed a group of ex-convicts to a deadly nerve agent inSaw II, forcing them to complete his tasks in hopes of finding an antidote. The life of Daniel Matthews was on the line, involving his father, Detective Eric Matthews, in a dramatic race against time.
Although not quite as fresh as the original,Saw IIwas a decent sequel that was significantly bloodier than its predecessor. The film establishedSawas a franchise and showed that Jigsaw’s antics did not need to be confined to the original.Saw IIgrossed $152.9 million worldwide and has remained the highest-grossingSawfilm in North American markets.
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The 10 Highest-Grossing Horror Movies Of 2023, So Far
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1Saw III (2006) — $164.9 Million
Jigsaw tested Amanda Young to determine whether she was a worthy successor inSaw III. Amanda tasked a doctor with keeping a bedridden Jigsaw alive, which allowed time for a vengeful father to complete his own tasks. This was the lastSawfilm to feature a non-posthumous Jigsaw appearance beforeSaw X.
Saw IIIcontinued to innovate with death traps that dialed up the gore levels fromSawandSaw II. The trilogy-capper also featured great on-screen chemistry between Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith.Saw IIIgrossed $164.9 million at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
