I'm a horror fan who's seen the first 9 'Saw' movies. Here are the 3 you must watch and 6 you should skip.

Watch: "Saw" (2004) lives up to its scary fame, particularly for viewers who don't cognize nan awesome twists.

The first "Saw" movie became an instant classical successful nan scary genre. The imaginative traps were still winnable, truthful nan victims could technically flight and survive.

Its biggest tie is nan enigma of who nan Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell) is, positive it has 2 awesome crippled twists that consciousness genuinely intolerable to predict. The movie besides had interesting hints to look retired for, dissimilar later "Saw" movies that analyzable information.

The talented cast — Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, and Bell — besides thief waste nan movie's curveballs.

Overall, nan first movie group up plotlines that would go much important later, specified arsenic Amanda Young's (Shawnee Smith) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon's (Elwes) preamble to Jigsaw's twisted philosophy.

All of nan iconic imagery of nan bid starts here, such arsenic nan celebrated villain Billy nan Puppet connected his tricycle, nan pig masks, and nan reverse carnivore trap.

"Saw" besides wraps up neatly capable that it tin beryllium watched arsenic a stand-alone movie.

Watch: "Saw II" (2005) includes conscionable arsenic galore breathtaking crippled twists and value traps arsenic nan first film.

The first "Saw" sequel gives fans much obstacles and unexpected events while maintaining a cohesive storyline.

The scary movie besides gave insignificant characters from nan first film, for illustration Amanda, a chance to beryllium further developed.

Like nan first movie and almost each sequel that followed, "Saw II" has 2 main plotlines.

One follows nan detective's investigation of Jigsaw, and nan different focuses connected nan participants successful his latest trap. Players are poisoned successful an abandoned location arsenic they effort to flight traps for nan chance to triumph antidotes.

The setup is reasonably straightforward for a "Saw" movie, and it's easy to travel contempt nan recurring flashbacks that thief make viewers much invested successful nan characters.

Later "Saw" movies show characters that aren't connected astatine each — but nan communal thread linking them successful this movie helps crushed nan story.

The returning formed is besides a strength, arsenic Bell erstwhile again plays Jigsaw, and Smith comes backmost to represent Amanda.

The occurrence of nan first movie granted nan sequel a larger budget, which helped make nan traps look better. This movie only featured escapable obstacles, which kept things interesting.

Watch: "Saw VI" (2009) is nan only different movie that's worthy viewing.

Even viewers who skip nan movies betwixt "Saw II" and this 1 will beryllium capable to travel on pinch nan main plotline. The film focuses connected an interconnected group of group attempting to past traps that are customized to nan logic they were picked.

As a "Saw" fan, I emotion seeing traps that make sense, thematically subordinate to a character, and look awesome erstwhile it comes to gore and effects. 

Jigsaw has trapped nan victims, who each activity astatine nan aforesaid security company, to unit their boss, William (Peter Outerbridge), to bespeak connected really unfair his company's policies are.

It's uncommon for a "Saw" movie to person a taxable and almost unheard of for a horror movie for illustration this to do it well.

The healthcare system's failures really construe into absorbing trap setups since William has to determine who should dice based connected nan statistic and policies of his company.

Some of these traps are highly connected nan nose, but they're still absorbing to watch. After respective "Saw" movies grounded to create a compelling main characteristic extracurricular nan Jigsaw team, it's awesome to really guidelines for nan victims.

There are plentifulness of callbacks to nan original "Saw" — and nan ending is beautiful decent, too. 

Skip: "Saw III" (2006) has important moments featuring Amanda and John, but nan remainder of nan movie is difficult to get into.

Viewers travel nan caller characteristic Jeff (Angus Macfadyen) arsenic he fails to prevention group from aggregate traps.

The communicative revolves astir Jeff's anger toward nan drunken driver who killed his son. He is put done grueling tests by Jigsaw meant to thief him face his emotions, but nan crippled benignant of falls flat. 

The 3rd installment of nan franchise besides introduces nan conception of inescapable traps. This caller summation lowers nan stakes and is annoying to watch arsenic characters neglect to make a getaway erstwhile they ne'er had a chance.  

Skip: "Saw IV" (2007) follows Daniel Rigg, who was successful erstwhile movies.

This movie gave viewers nan chance to spot nan acquainted look of Officer Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent), who becomes consumed pinch rescuing Jigsaw's victims.

Ultimately, he finds himself astatine nan halfway of Jigsaw's games and is faced pinch nan intolerable task of rescuing his partners.

Viewers besides get a glimpse astatine John Kramer's root communicative and really he manages to manipulate others into continuing his soiled work.

Daniel continually fails trap aft trap by refusing to travel directions, making nan 5th installment of nan bid tedious to watch.

Skip: "Saw V" (2008) is packed pinch flashbacks showing Jigsaw and apprentice Mark Hoffman arsenic supplier Peter Strahm searches for nan truth.

Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) returns to reply immoderate applicable questions astir really John/Jigsaw arranged specified torturous traps.

The movie follows supplier Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) arsenic he hunts down Hoffman aft discovering his existent identity.

"Saw" fans get a chance to study much astir Hoffman and really he became entangled successful Jigsaw's maestro plan. The flashbacks are benignant of interesting, but nan main crippled isn't engaging enough.

It's frustrating to watch nan main group many times neglect to activity together to past their imprisonment. Plus nan movie didn't person immoderate existent awesome twists. 

Skip: "Saw: The Final Chapter" (2010) didn't request to exist.

"Saw: The Final Chapter" brings backmost Dr. Gordon arsenic different Jigsaw accomplice, continuing nan analyzable plotline pinch Hoffman and adding different personnel to nan "Jigsaw Survivors Group."

The movie follows personification who lied astir surviving a Jigsaw trap to summation clout. He now has to really past 1 and prevention his woman successful nan process.

This whitethorn beryllium nan "Saw" movie pinch nan astir annoying storyline. Additionally, I deliberation nan traps suffer from anemic typical effects that see bizarre bright-pink blood.

Skip: Despite including immoderate notable twists, "Jigsaw" (2017) is highly frustrating to watch.

In this film, viewers watch a group of constabulary hunting down nan original Jigsaw Killer who's supposedly been dormant for complete a decade. Throughout nan movie, they effort to find retired if he's still live aliases if personification other is playing his sadistic games. 

I deliberation nan premise of this movie seemed interesting, but the characters successful nan trap were excessively unlikeable and poorly portrayed.

Skip: "Spiral" (2021) further analyzable an already chaotic plotline.

The latest film, "Spiral," shows nan Jigsaw mantle taken up by a caller detective, Zeke Banks (Chris Rock), who has nary ties to immoderate erstwhile movies.

Oddly enough, nan movie is almost wholly focused connected detectives. This makes it nan first movie to afloat break distant from nan part-trap, part-cop formula.

The ending is disappointing to watch, and not moreover a formed that includes Samuel L. Jackson tin prevention this movie from being a mess.

This communicative was primitively published connected October 21, 2021, and astir precocious updated connected October 25, 2024.