How to watch 'Saw' movies in order (chronologically and by release date)
You don't need to play games to watch the "Saw" movies in order online. Especially when many of them are under the same streaming roof, and others are headed to one of the best streaming services.
The "Saw" movies are horror movies of a particularly twisted and popular bent, and they began with those killed by Jigsaw. The puzzlingly named miscreant, and those who bore his influence in the many "Saw" films, sets traps that give the victim a chance of survival, often based around their own dark secrets and a terrible choice that would leave them permanently disfigured or damaged in one way or another.
Since there's a chance that some are coming to these movies relatively uninformed, we're going to keep this explainer of how to watch the "Saw" movies nearly entirely spoiler-free. That is until we explain a little bit about what's going on with "Saw X" at the bottom of this story.
How to watch the 'Saw' movies in order of release
The good news here is that the bulk of the "Saw" movies are available right now via Starz, which offers a $3 per month discount at the time of publication. Normally, Starz is just $9.99 per month.
Alternatively, you can use Hulu to watch every "Saw" movie currently available as part of your regular subscription plan.
"Saw" (2004): watch on Starz or Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw II" (2005): watch on Starz or Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw III" (2006): watch on Starz or Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw IV" (2007): watch on Starz or Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw V" (2008): watch on Starz or Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw VI" (2009): watch on Starz or Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw 3D" / "Saw: The Final Chapter" (2010): watch on Starz or Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Jigsaw" (2017): watch on Prime Video or MGM Plus, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Spiral" (2021): watch on Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw X" (2023): watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch the Saw movies in chronological order
When it comes to the big complex web of the "Saw" movies, there are some caveats to know. First and foremost, the "Saw" movies are filled with flashbacks. Heck, half of "Jigsaw" is a flashback.
Also, as noted above, "Saw X" is not the tenth chronological film in the "Saw" movies. So you only really need to have seen the original "Saw" to know what's going on. Arguably, though, the rest of the films (including the prequel half of "Jigsaw") will leave you more informed.
The good thing to note is that the release order is very similar to the chronological order, so we recommend watching it in the manner in which they were released.
Technically, half of "Jigsaw" predates Saw, but you should probably not watch it first
"Saw II": watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others (coming to Prime Video starting on Aug. 1)
"Saw III": watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others (coming to Prime Video starting on Aug. 1)
The order of Saw III and Saw IV is tricky, as you'll soon learn"Saw IV": watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others (coming to Prime Video starting on Aug. 1)
This is not a prequel, despite what some claim online"Saw V" : watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others (coming to Prime Video starting on Aug. 1)
"Saw VI": watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others (coming to Prime Video starting on Aug. 1)
"Saw 3D" / "Saw: The Final Chapter": watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Jigsaw": watch on Prime Video or MGM Plus, buy or rent on Amazon and others
"Saw X": (2023): watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Saw' (2004) online
It all (for us) began here, where Adam (Leigh Whannell) met Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) in a very troubling situation. While many lies and twists are explained, we learn that their abduction is tied to the Jigsaw Killer, a serial killer who tests his abductees with games.
Watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Saw II' online
In a familiar moment, Michael (Noam Jenkins) wakes up in a room, wearing a spike-filled trap around his neck. This leads to the cops trying to figure out his case to hunt down the man they believe to be The Jigsaw Killer. Unfortunately for all, there are more prisoners and games involved.
Watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Saw III' online
This direct sequel to "Saw II" opens with an escape tied to its predecessor, but that's only prelude for an examination of the latest victim of one of Jigsaw's "games." Except the cops figure out that these victims aren't given the same chances for survival that one normally expects from Jigsaw. More abductions lead to more horror, and a doctor is forced to perform brain surgery to stay alive.
Watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Saw IV' online
Chronologically, "Saw IV" takes place at an interesting point in the "Saw" timeline, but that's based on something we won't explain here. Just watch "Saw III" and "IV" in the order they were released. Even though the previous chapter's ending might make you think the games were over, no such situation is happening. Oh, and the FBI is here, with agents Strahm (Scott Patterson) and Perez (Athena Karkanis). Clues suggest one of these feds is going to do something very bad.
Watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Saw V' online
Agent Strahm is back in this chapter, which begins with a convicted murderer given a deadly choice. Soon, the bad cop metaphors continue, with an attacker wearing a pig mask. But don't trust any signs of a conclusion. A lack of trust permeates "Saw V", as victims are trapped in a maze of an underground sewer system.
Watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Saw VI' online
Jigsaw's legacy continues to leave a ripple effect in "Saw VI", which gets topical from the outset as predatory lenders are the latest victims. Feds re-open the investigation of the Jigsaw killer, but a re-examination of the murders is also taking place on the other side of the crimes.
Watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Saw 3D' / 'Saw: The Final Chapter' online
Liars rarely reap rewards, or at least that's the message behind 'Saw 3D', also known as 'Saw: The Final Chapter'. Here, we watch Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery), who's made a fortune off of the lie that he survived one of Jigsaw's traps. Unsurprisingly, Bobby gets kidnapped, and is put through tests in order to save his wife (Gina Holden) and others he holds dearly.
Watch on Starz, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Jigsaw' online
"Jigsaw" is a tale of two stories. On one half, we see the origins of Jigsaw's games, with five people stuck in a barn filled with these deadly traps. In "present day," we continue to track the events following the previous seven films.
Watch on Prime Video or MGM Plus, buy or rent on Amazon and others
How to watch 'Spiral: From the Book of Saw' online
"Spiral", which seems to exist after the "Saw" films, is unique in that it's a linear story with no flashbacks. Detective Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) just lost his partner to a series of tricks that appear to be the work of a Jigsaw copycat. At the same time, Banks' former partner Fitch (Richard Zeppieri) is kidnapped and put in a new trap. Now, it's on Banks to both save Fitch and clear his own name. All while dealing with his own personal demons.
Watch on Hulu, buy or rent on Amazon and others
When does 'Saw X' take place in the 'Saw' movies?
"Saw X's" name may make it look like a chronological sequel, but that's not the case. This news first became evident when cast member Shawnee Smith, who plays the since-deceased Amanda Young, had been added to the cast.
Then, Deadline broke the news that "Saw X" is set "between the events of Saw I and II," and that it focuses on Tobin Bell's John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer. Here, he "travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer – only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. The infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged, and ingenious traps."
