10 Horror Movie Franchises That Overstayed Their Welcome
6. Saw
Yes, this year's Saw X was refreshingly good, taking a more delicate, character-driven approach as it showcased John Kramer desperately trying to find a way to deal with his cancer diagnosis. Still, the Saw franchise is one that, prior to Saw X, hadn't served up a good movie since Saw IV or possibly, at a push, Saw VI.
However, the ideal way to have brought this series to a close was with Saw III. There, Kramer and Amanda Young - master and apprentice - were both killed off, and from a narrative sense this was the franchise at its peak. While Saw IV was solid, it began a trend of going way over the top with the gore; a practice that the strength of story means Saw IV could get away with, but that subsequent movies became too lazily reliant on.
Saw IV also began the likewise lazy habit of revealing more Jigsaw apprentices solely as a way to keep the franchise alive and well, long after John Kramer had perished. In Saw IV, it's Detective Hoffman who's showcased to have been working with Kramer, whilst Saw 3D reveals Dr. Gordon and two other mystery figures are under Jigsaw's mentorship, and 2017's Jigsaw positioned Logan Nelson as John's first ever apprentice.
Clearly, box office returns - over $1 billion from a cumulative budget of just over $100 million - means the Saw franchise is an extremely profitable one, but from a story standpoint, Saw III was the perfect endgame.