Helo and Welcome again. Today I want to talk about Saw franchise.
Spoiler Alert: This blog post contains spoilers about the Saw franchise.
The Saw franchise is a horror phenomenon that has captured the hearts and minds of audiences for many years. The franchise is comprised of eight films, each one adding to the twisted and complex narrative of the series. In this blog post, we will rank the Saw franchise from best to worst, describe key characters and villains, and provide audience scores and reviews.
1. Saw (2004)
The original Saw movie tops our list for its undeniable impact on the horror genre and its mastery of suspense. The film follows two men who wake up chained in a bathroom with no memory of how they got there. They are faced with a series of gruesome tasks in order to stay alive while a mysterious figure known as “Jigsaw” watches from the shadows. The characters are well-developed and the villain’s motivations are complex.
Key Characters: Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell), Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 92% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “One of the best horror films ever made. Original and terrifying.” – Sarah J.
2. Saw II (2005)
Following up on the success of the first movie, Saw II expands on the twisted world of Jigsaw. This time, a group of strangers are trapped in a house with deadly traps set up around every corner. The film is more graphic than the previous entry and jumps back and forth in time to reveal more about Jigsaw’s backstory.
Key Characters: Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg), Daniel Matthews (Erik Knudsen), Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 37% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “Saw II cranks up the gore and suspense, but lacks the originality of the first film. Still a decent horror flick.” – Mark P.
3. Saw III (2006)
Saw III takes a deeper dive into the history of Jigsaw and his protégé, Amanda. The traps are more elaborate and gruesome, but the film suffers from trying to do too much. The narrative jumps between too many characters and subplots, making it hard to follow at times.
Key Characters: Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), Jeff Denlon (Angus Macfadyen), Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 10% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “Saw III is a mess of a movie. Too convoluted and lacking in suspense.” – Rachel G.
4. Saw IV (2007)
Saw IV picks up right after the events of the third film, with Jigsaw and Amanda both dead. The narrative is split between Hoffman’s investigation of Jigsaw’s legacy and a group of people being tested in a new series of traps. The film answers some questions from previous entries, but fails to keep the audience engaged.
Key Characters: Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), Rigg (Lyriq Bent), Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 17% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “Saw IV feels like it’s just going through the motions. The traps are still brutal, but there’s nothing new here.” – Brian H.
5. Saw V (2008)
Saw V suffers from many of the same problems as its predecessor. The traps are uninspired and the narrative lacks focus. The audience is left waiting for something interesting to happen, and it never does.
Key Characters: Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson), Charles (Carlo Rota)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 13% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “Saw V is stagnant and dull. The franchise is losing steam.” – Jen L.
6. Saw VI (2009)
Saw VI attempts to bring some relevance to the series with commentary on healthcare and insurance companies. Unfortunately, the message is heavy-handed and the traps are forgettable. The franchise is feeling tired at this point.
Key Characters: Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), William Easton (Peter Outerbridge), Tara (Tanedra Howard)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 39% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “Saw VI tries to be relevant, but it’s still the same old gore-fest. The characters aren’t even interesting anymore.” – Ben S.
7. Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010)
The seventh and purportedly final Saw movie attempts to tie up loose ends and provide a satisfying ending to the series. Unfortunately, the film is a convoluted mess and lacks any of the suspense or scares of the previous entries. The 3D gimmick is also distracting and adds nothing to the movie.
Key Characters: Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes), Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 10% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “Saw 3D is a messy, pointless end to a once-great horror franchise.” – Karen T.
8. Jigsaw (2017)
Jigsaw attempts to reboot the franchise for a new generation, but falls flat on its face. The movie adds nothing new to the series and the traps are uninspired copies of earlier entries. The audience is left wondering why this movie was even made.
Key Characters: Detective Halloran (Callum Keith Rennie), Logan Nelson (Matt Passmore), Eleanor (Hannah Emily Anderson)
Villain: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)
Rating: 33% on Rotten Tomatoes
Audience Review: “Jigsaw is a boring and pointless movie. The franchise should have ended with The Final Chapter.” – Dave R.
Behind the Scenes: The Saw franchise was created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell. The first movie was made on a budget of only $1.2 million and grossed over $100 million worldwide. The franchise has since become a horror phenomenon, but has declined in quality and popularity in recent years. The future of the franchise is unclear.
In conclusion, the Saw franchise started out strong with a gripping horror thriller and quickly descended into a stream of unimaginative gore-fests. While Jigsaw made an attempt to revive the series, it ultimately failed. It’s best to watch the original Saw movie and appreciate the impact it had on the horror genre, and leave the rest of the series to hardcore fans.