'Gruesomely Graphic' 2023 Horror Movie Tops Netflix Chart

Looks like quite a few people wanted to play a game this weekend, as at least one of the ten Saw movies has cracked the Netflix Top 10 Movies chart in the United States.

Saw X, which was released in 2023, currently sits in the #9 position on Monday, according to FlixPatrol. This after it reached the 8th position on Sunday.

Per franchise writer Josh Stolberg, 2021’s Spiral: From the Book of Saw was also in the Top 10 on Friday, as he urged fans on X to “Go check that s--t out MF’s!!!!!”

The spike in viewership for the two films comes shortly after all ten films in the Saw franchise—including Saw, Saw II, Saw III,Saw IV, Saw V, Saw: The Final Chapter, Jigsaw, Spiral and Saw X—were added to the streamer earlier this month.

What Is Saw X About?

The Saw franchise revolves around a man named John Kramer (Tobin Bell), a serial killer known for placing his victims into elaborate, often horrific, traps that force them to seriously maim, injure or endure some form of sacrifice to escape. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is the only film to not feature Bell, as it followed a copycat killer.

His motivations are revealed and expanded upon throughout the series, often shown in flashbacks. He initially goes homicidal after surviving a suicide attempt, this after his wife miscarried their child, they divorced and he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. His targets: those who aren’t grateful for the time they’re given, after his own diagnosis.

While the tenth film in the series, Saw X is actually set between the events of Saw 1 and II. It follows Kramer to Mexico City, after learning of a medical treatment not authorized in the United States that could cure his cancer.

Unfortunately for John—and, eventually, those who duped him—the surgery wasn’t legit, and was instead just a way to swindle money out of a man who was running out of time. With the help of accomplices Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) and Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor)—who both appeared in previous films—he captures everyone involved in the scheme, before putting them through a series of horrifying traps.

As always, the traps are incredibly intricate, and include pipe bombs, dismemberment, decapitation, radiation, and, in one especially grisly moment, self-brain surgery.

What Fans and Critics Thought of Saw X

Saw X is not only the most recent film in the series, but the highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes. It currently sits with an 81% rating with 152 Approved Tomatometer Critic reviews, and an 88% Popcornmeter score with audiences. The next highest rated film in the series is the first, released back in 2004, which sits at only 50%.

The overall critics consensus said Saw X featured the “franchise-best performance” from star Tobin Bell, with Rotten Tomatoes also saying the film “reinvigorates the series with an installment that has a surprising amount of heart to go with all the gore.”

Audiences, meanwhile, say the movie adds “dimension to the franchise’s main characters while still leaving plenty of room for the gruesomely graphic horror these movies are known for.”

Future of the Saw Franchise

One of the highest-grossing horror film franchises of all time—added emphasis on the gross—the Saw series isn't going away anytime soon.

While a sequel to Saw X was in development after the massive box office success of the installment—it made $125.3 million against a $15 million budget—those plans stalled out.

In 2025, Blumhouse acquired Twisted Pitcures' stake in the franchise, with Jason Blum announcing that series co-creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell will be involved in the next film and, Blum's hope, the franchise going forward.

When asked about his plans for the series, Blum toldVariety, “My creative outlook is what I always preach: Get the people who made the magic in the first place more involved. James Wan [the original director] will be hugely involved. That’s how we’re going to reinvent it.”  

While Bell's Jigsaw did die from cancer at one point in the series, both Wan and Whannell told Bloody Disgusting they "don’t think you can make a Saw movie without Jigsaw.”

As for how he’ll return? Stay tuned.