Unlike many franchises, the Saw film series' various installments and release dates don’t matter when it comes to watching them in order, at least story-wise.
Across two decades, the franchise has released a total of ten movies, which quickly turned the horror series into one of the most profitable and prominent splatter films known in history.
Before Saw X comes out in theaters this September, here is how you can watch all Saw movies in chronological order:
READ MORE: Saw: Top 10 Best Traps in Franchise History Ranked
WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the entire Saw franchise, so READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Jigsaw (2017)
Although Jigsaw was released as the eighth movie in the franchise, this movie showed the early traps John Kramer orchestrated on his first group set of victims.
Set in a barn filled with Jigsaw’s deathtraps, this is one of the many flashback scenes that were scattered in the entirety of the movie, meant to depict the events before Saw came into the picture.
Saw (2004)
The movie was simple. A story of two men, Adam and Dr. Gordon, who had woken up to their ‘trap’ inside a dirty old abandoned bathroom where the protagonists have been chained to pipes with only a saw to use to escape for their lives.
This is also where we get our first introduction to Amanda Young, one of the most crucial characters whose bigger purpose expanded throughout the franchise as one of Jigsaw’s apprentices.
Saw X (2023)
The tenth and presumed to be the last for the franchise, Saw X tells the story of how John Kramer is hoping to find a miraculous cure for his terminal cancer, only to realize that he had been scammed by a couple of con artists in Mexico.
This leads John to bring out Jigsaw and once again reminds the audience why no one should ever think about crossing him in his own game of life and death.
Saw II (2005)
Saw II sets another group of ex-convicts under Jigsaw’s house rules. This time, the group wakes up trapped in an abandoned house, where they’re threatened to get pumped up in poisonous nerve gas unless they find the key before the time runs out.
This time, however, the second Saw film is joined by Detective Eric Matthews whose team must figure out how to save the victims from another murder scene, considering that one of the ‘ex-convicts’ is his own son.
Saw III (2006) & Saw IV (2007)
Six months after Saw II was released, the third and fourth Saw films take place in the same timeline.
The purpose of this is that the movies have to keep Jigsaw alive, long enough to have his victims scrambling to accomplish their assigned tasks.
Saw IV also expounded on how Jigsaw managed to have his revenge against Cecil, one of his wife’s old patients at the rehab clinic who accidentally caused the miscarriage of their unborn child.
Saw V (2008)
While John Kramer died in Saw IV, Jigsaw and Billy the Puppet are still in on their shenanigans altogether. This time, Saw V follows the serial killer’s apprentices in setting up their own murderous puzzle in replacement of Jigsaw’s original mindbreaking traps in the franchise.
Saw VI (2009)
A new set of victims and a new round of the murderous Jigsaw game, Saw VI occurs days after the events of Saw V.
Surprisingly, the film reveals the big plot twist of Jigsaw still being alive and well, but with a catch — it’s the serial killer’s successor pulling the strings: Detective Hoffman.
Saw 3D (aka Saw: The Final Chapter, 2010)
Saw 3D (otherwise known as Saw: The Final Chapter) takes place a few weeks after Saw VI, which focuses on both of John Kramer’s apprentices fighting for their position to continue Jigsaw’s legacy.
This is also where the franchise comes into a complete circle as we see the events of the first Saw film and Dr. Gordon from the old bathroom scene.
Half of Jigsaw (2017)
Even though Jigsaw is recommended to watch first among the entire franchise, the first half of the film features flashback scenes explaining the timeline of Kramer turning into Jigsaw.
Meanwhile, the other half of Jigsaw happens about a decade after Saw III and Saw IV. The original serial killer remains dead, leaving the new killer, Logan, to take on his legacy.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
As the first spinoff for the franchise, Spiral is (chronologically speaking) the last movie to watch on this list order, which perfectly closes down the Jigsaw menace without leaving any questions unanswered for the viewers.
Where Can You Watch the Saw Movies Before Seeing Saw X?
As of writing, all seven of the ten Saw films are available to watch on Peacock Premium, and since Lionsgate has a multi-year movie output agreement with Peacock for every new theatrical release, Saw X will most likely be first made available to stream here, too.
Meanwhile, other streamers that have the Saw movies are:
Amazon Prime Video, which has Jigsaw and the six other Saw movies, and Netflix, which does contain some of the Saw films, but is not going to stay put on the streamer any longer.
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