The well-known SAW horror movie series began 20 years ago when James Wan directed the first movie that had Cary Elwes, Tobin Bell, and Leigh Whannell in the main roles. That movie was about a sadistic serial killer who claimed to offer people the chance to truly appreciate life by forcing them to play a terrifying game of survival.
Meanwhile, other movies of the SAW series were launched, and the last one was the 2023 movie known simply as “SAW X.” In this movie, John Kramer (aka Jigsaw), played by Tobin Bell, is desperately looking for treatment for his cancer and discovers the secret base of a clinic claiming to offer a miracle cure for the condition. After going through his “surgery,” John discovers that those guys were nothing but a bunch of con artists and drug addicts who were stealing people’s money in exchange for the so-called cancer treatment. As a result, Jigsaw decides to have his revenge in his own gruesome ways.
The SAW series is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it remains a highly successful horror movie series. If you’re looking for similar movies, you’ve made it to the right place, so let’s cut to the chase:
Se7en (1995):
Directed by David Fincher, Se7en is a fantastic movie that presents the story of two detectives, played by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, who try to get their hands on a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins from the Bible as his reasons to kill people. The killer, played by Kevin Spacey, believes that there’s way too much tolerance in the world for those who commit deadly sins and, therefore, choose to commit hideous crimes “in accordance” with their sins.
Hostel (2005):
Directed by Eli Roth, “Hostel” from 2005 is a horror film about tourists who become victims of the sadistic games of a secret society. Ironically enough, the Slovak city to where the tourists where heading to promise to meet their hedonistic expectations, but the guys had no idea of the hell that was awaiting them.
Cube (1997)
In “Cube” from 1997, a group of strangers wakes up in a maze of deadly mystery rooms. In order to escape, they have to navigate the deadly traps. Released much earlier than the first SAW movie, this movie might have been a source of inspiration for James Wan’s series.
Battle Royale (2000)
“Battle Royale” from 2000 is a Japanese movie directed by Kinji Fukasaku in which the Japanese government captures a class of 9th-grade students and forces them to kill one another. One of the reasons seems to be the firm belief that students have no respect for the work of school teachers. This is also one of the all-time favorite movies of Quentin Tarantino, which should be a strong enough reason to watch it.
Funny Games (1997)
“Funny Games,” from over a quarter of a century ago, is another disturbing psychological thriller, and it revolves around a wealthy family that’s being held hostage by two young men who prepare some sadistic games for them.
Surely, many other movies could be on this list, but even so, we believe that these are some of the most interesting ones for those looking for horror movies similar to the SAW series.
Tim M. Hill helped bring Digital-Overload from a weekly newsletter to a full-fledged news site by creating a new website and branding. He continues to assist in keeping the site responsive and well organized for the readers. As a writer to Digital-Overload, Tim mainly covers mobile news and gadgets.
