The Saw franchise remains one of the most durable in Hollywood. Despite not having a single entry earn a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, films continue to get made. There have been a total of nine Saw films made over the years but none have been as well-received as the first film.
At the time of Saw’s release in 2004, director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell were both newcomers to the horror movie scene. Made for a measly $1.2 million, the film became a phenomenon and made $103.9 million at the box office. Years later, Wan and Whannell are big names in Hollywood and the Saw franchise is one of the most recognizable.
Despite all of the sequels, the first film has retained much of its popularity. In fact, it’s seeing a big resurgence on streaming right now. Saw is currently one of the five most-streamed movies on HBO Go all over South America, per Flix Patrol. Over a dozen countries have it as the fourth most popular film on HBO Go, including Mexico and Brazil.
Saw was one of the first films to be described as “torture porn.” Wan crafted a number of intense scenes that featured gore that hadn’t been present in many prior films. The character of Jigsaw is the iconic horror movie villain of the 21st century and a popular Halloween costume. While Saw does seem dated in a few ways, it holds up as one of the most intense horror films of the last 20 years. It also includes one of the most shocking twist endings in film history.
