10 Horror Movie Sequels That Broke All The Rules
8. Saw III (2006)
2005's Saw II was described by critics and fans alike as "the same... but better." The consensus being that the bigger budget and cast allowed for more of what audiences adored about the first film and it was a hit... even if it didn't really do anything new.
However, 2006's Saw III would blow the series apart and leave everything at a loose end. The movie follows Jeff as he is put through a series of life or death traps involving those responsible for his son's death. At the same time, the dying Jigsaw abducts a doctor and holds her hostage, tasked with keeping him alive until the "game" is complete.
Saw III just... doesn't hold back. With the visceral close-up gore, the unapologetic killing of franchise characters we love or the unstoppable, flawlessly written twist-filled narrative, this movie is the franchise benchmark.
No one is safe in Saw III, a trait that would continue throughout later films, if not as effectively. The movie mercilessly kills beloved characters like Det. Allison Kerry and Amanda Young, leaving the viewer in utter shock.
Perhaps Saw III's most unique trait is that it kills the franchise's primary villain as its parting shot. John Kramer is violently murdered, and unlike other horror franchises, this serves as a real death. He's brought back in flashbacks, but killing off the series villain for good less than halfway through the franchise is something most producers would find unthinkable.
At the end, every character we know is either dead or left in peril and the viewer can only scream "where can it go from here?!"