Every Saw Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

5. Saw IV

Saw IV is where the franchise's conceit began wearing thin, as the filmmakers realised they couldn't just dine out on Jigsaw's legacy forever, and had to introduce a new apprentice to take up the mantle.

This resulted in the rather unsatisfying reveal that Detective Hoffman was in cahoots with Jiggy all along, while the logic for testing Lt. Rigg, effectively that he was an over-eager hero, never felt particularly Saw-worthy.

At least the film features the return of Eric Matthews, who's dispatched in memorably grisly fashion with two giant ice blocks obliterating his skull, and the Jigsaw autopsy scene is absolutely unforgettable.

Still, Saw IV was the movie that made it clear the primary objective of each new film was to provide a lead-in to the next one, no matter how silly or contrived it seemed.