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20 years ago, Saw made an indelible impact on the horror genre. Not only did it usher in the so-called “torture porn” subgenre that would become synonymous with the aughts, but it also launched the career of filmmaker James Wan, who has firmly cemented his place among the masters of horror with follow-ups like The Conjuring and Insidious.
In the two decades since, the lucrative franchise has spawned nine sequels — 2005’s Saw II, 2006’s Saw III, 2007’s Saw IV, 2008’s Saw V, 2009’s Saw VI, 2010’s Saw: The Final Chapter, 2017’s Jigsaw, 2021’s Spiral: From the Book of Saw, and 2023’s Saw X — with a worldwide box office total of over $1 billion.
Despite being often maligned by detractors for its mindless sadism, fans are just as much invested in the series’ soap opera-esque melodrama as the innovative death traps. Formulaic though the general plots may be, the non-linear storyline is deceptively intricate — especially considering new entries were being churned out annually with little foresight for much of the franchise’s history.
As is the case with any long-running franchise, every entry has its advocates and critics. The original film is generally considered the gold standard, but Saw II and Saw X are among the fan favorites as well, with Saw VI championed as something of a dark horse. The rest vary depending on how you feel about the various Jigsaw apprentices, traps, storylines, and creative forces involved.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary, Lionsgate has released Saw: 10-Film Collection, a box set that collects all ten films on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital. Beyond that, details regarding the contents were not specified — so here is the bloody rundown.
23 discs are included: all 10 films on Blu-ray and DVD, plus bonus DVDs with more extras for the first three installments. The discs themselves are identical to their respective individual releases. I didn’t expect any new special features — the archives are already bustling with extras — but matching disc art could have improved the presentation.
The slipcase is striking. Three double-sided art cards featuring some of the franchise’s most iconic characters — Tobin Bell as John Kramer, Cary Elwes as Dr. Gordon, Shawnee Smith as Amanda, Chester Bennington as Evan, Billy the puppet, and Jigsaw in his pig mask — are included, along with the main cover design. If you so desire, you can swap out the front-facing artwork.
The discs within are stacked across 12 spindles in an extra-wide DVD case. Inconvenient to navigate and not particularly sturdy, retrieving your desired movie feels like a low-stakes Jigsaw game. It saves considerable shelf space, however, holding all 10 movies in the width of less than four standard cases. The contents are detailed below.
Saw Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by director James Wan, writer/actor Leigh Whannell, and actor Cary Elwes
- Audio commentary by producers Mark Burg, Gregg Offman, and Oren Koules
- Game Changer: The Legacy of Saw
- Saw: The Original Short Film
- Hacking Away at Saw
- Alternate storyboard sequence
- Theatrical trailer
Saw DVD special features:
- Director’s Art Gallery
- Full Disclosure Report: Piecing Together Jigsaw
- Jigsaw’s Workship
- Saw 2 on-set preview
Saw II Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by director Darren Lynn Bousman, production designer David Hackl, and editor Kevin Greutert
- Audio commentary by executive producer James Wan and writer/executive producer Leigh Whannell
- The Scott Tibbs Documentary
- Gregg Hoffman: In Memoriam
- The Story Behind the Story
Saw II DVD special features:
- The Making of Saw II
- Zombie short film with optional commentary by director Darren Lynn Bousman
- Play Me set-top game
- Theatrical trailer
Saw III Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by director Darren Lynn Bousman, writer/executive producer Leigh Whannell, and executive producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine
- Audio commentary by director Darren Lynn Bousman, editor Kevin Greutert, and director of photography David A. Armstrong
- Audio commentary by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg
- The Traps of Saw III
- The Props of Saw III
- The Writing of Saw III
- Amanda: The Evolution of a Killer
- Darren’s Diary
- Deleted scenes
- Theatrical trailer
- Theatrical teaser
Saw III DVD special features:
- Jigsaw’s Plan trivia game
- Choose the Death
- “Killer Inside (Messed Up World Remake)” music video by Hydrovibe
- Looking Tortured
- Filmmaker Favs
- Saw IV sneak peek
Saw IV Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by director Darren Bousman and actor Lyriq Bent
- Audio commentary by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg and executive producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine
- Darren’s Video Diary
- The Traps of Saw IV
- The Props of Saw IV
- Deleted scene
- “I.V.” music video by X Japan
- Theatrical trailer
Saw V Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by director David Hackl and first assistant director Steve Webb
- Audio commentary by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg and executive producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine
- The Pendulum Trap
- The Cube Trap
- The Coffin Trap
- The Fatal Five
- Slicing the Cube: Editing the Cube Trap
- Theatrical trailer
Saw VI Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by producer Mark Burg and executive producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine
- Audio commentary by director Kevin Greutert and writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton
- The Traps of Saw VI
- Jigsaw Revealed
- A Killer Maze: Making Saw: Game Over
- “Your Soul is Mine” music video by Mushroomhead
- “Ghost in the Mirror” music video by Memphis May Fire
- “In Ashes They Shall Reap” music video by Hatebreed
- “Genocide (Saw VI Remix)” music video by Suicide Silence
- Theatrical trailer
Saw: The Final Chapter Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg and executive producer Peter Block
- Audio commentary by writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton
- Deleted and extended scenes
- “Goliath” music video by Karnivool
- “Cocaine Chest Pains” music video by Kopek
- “Pass Out” music video by I-Exist
- “Hageshisa To” music video by Dir En Gray
- “Full of Regret” music video by Danko Jones
- 52 Ways to Die
- Theatrical trailer
Jigsaw Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg and executive producer Peter Block
- I Speak for the Dead: The Legacy of Jigsaw documentary
- The Choice is Yours: Exploring the Props
Spiral: From the Book of Saw Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by director Darren Lynn Bousman, writer Josh Stolberg, and composer Charlie Clouser
- Audio commentary by producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg
- The Consequences of Your Actions: Creating Spiral
- Drawing Inspiration: Illustrated Trap Breakdowns
- Decoding the Marketing Spiral
- Teaser trailer
- Theatrical trailer
Saw X Blu-ray special features:
- Audio commentary by director/editor Kevin Greutert, cinematographer Nick Matthews, and production designer Anthony Stabley
- Reawakening documentary
- Drawing Inspiration
- Make-up department trap tests
- Deleted scenes
- Theatrical trailer
The first seven installments are presented with 5.1 Dolby Audio, while the latter three feature Dolby Atmos sound. Jigsaw also has a unique 2.0 Dolby Audio track “optimized for late-night listening.” Although the discs feature the unrated/director’s cuts for the first seven entries, the included digital copies are, unfortunately, the R-rated theatrical counterparts.
With Saw XI due out September 27, the box set’s shelf life before becoming outdated is less than a year. There’s nothing to entice double dipping for those who own prior releases, but it’s a convenient way for newcomers to collect the entire Jigsaw saga thus far in one tidy package.
Saw: 10-Film Collection is available now via Lionsgate.
