Saw 11 is officially no longer happening, so it’s the perfect time to watch the franchise’s true send-off film. Admittedly, the news is a pretty surprising development following the relative success of Saw X. While the franchise has undeniably been struggling for many years now, the more recent sequels have done a good job of pushing the series in new directions and preventing it from feeling too stale. Saw 11’s cancellation is an unfortunate sign that these attempts haven’t been successful, and the studio doesn’t see a future for the series.

The apparent end of the Saw franchise shouldn’t be too surprising to anybody who’s been following this series since the beginning, but it’s still a disappointing sign that long-running horror franchises are struggling to survive in today’s cinematic climate. The are several great Saw movies in the series, and while Saw X certainly wasn’t the strongest of them all, it certainly seemed like the franchise was moving in the right direction.

Saw X Was A Fitting End To The Long-Running Horror Franchise

The Series Couldn’t Have Ended On A More Suitable Note

Thankfully, the Saw franchise officially ended on a very fitting story that places the overarching villain John Kramer at the center of the story. This creative prequel tells the story of Kramer’s journey to Mexico several years before the events of the first Saw movie, where he’s scammed by a group of low-profile con artists who trick him into believing that his illness can be caused. This is what triggers the murderous streak of vengeance that carries on throughout the Saw franchise, and it’s at its most raw and powerful here.

If Saw X truly is the final movie in this series, it’s the perfect way to wrap things up. It’s not another repeтιтive sequel like Saw VI or Saw 3D, nor is it a meaningless spin-off like Spiral; it’s a story that feels integral to John Kramer’s development. Despite serving as the series’ villain, Kramer is the only character who’s been present (in some form) in every single Saw movie, so it’s only right that he’s the main character of the final one.

Chronologically, The Final Saw Movie Is The Inferior Spiral

Chris Rock’s Saw Movie Was A Big Disappointment

Unfortunately, those watching the Saw franchise in chronological order will be left with a much weaker and less interesting movie as the final one — 2021’s Spiral. While there’s nothing strictly wrong with this sequel, it doesn’t feel as integral to the series as the rest of the entries do. It’s a pretty generic and repeтιтive movie that almost feels like it’s parodying Saw instead of actually taking place in the same universe. It benefits from some entertaining performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella, but it’s an otherwise underwhelming film that doesn’t live up to the series’ legacy.