Saw (2004)
How much blood would you shed to stay alive?
Two men wake up to find themselves shackled in a grimy, abandoned bathroom. As they struggle to comprehend their predicament, they discover a disturbing tape left behind by the sadistic mastermind known as Jigsaw. With a chilling voice and cryptic instructions, Jigsaw informs them that they must partake in a gruesome game in order to secure their freedom.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 1 October 2004 |
| Genre | Horror, Mystery, Crime |
| Director | James Wan |
| Starring | Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes and Tobin Bell |
| Runtime | 103 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 5.6/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 49% · Metacritic 46/100 · TMDB users 7.4/10 |
| Budget | $1 million |
Where to watch Saw
Saw is streaming on Peacock ($16.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Peacock is $16.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 19 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Where to watch Saw in 11 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Angola | Prime Video |
| Australia | ARD/ZDF |
| Belgium | Max €10.99 |
| Brazil | Globoplay R$24.90 |
| Canada | Netflix $18.99 CAD, Tubi |
| France | Max €9.99 |
| Ireland | Max |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, Hulu, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Monaco | Max |
| South Korea | Watcha |
| United Kingdom | Max £9.99 GBP, Tubi |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
James Wan’s 2004 film starts with two men chained to a bathroom floor. The twist is not who did this, but what they must do to survive. It is a 103-minute exercise in claustrophobia, where the horror lives in the silence between the instructions. The film trusts the audience to be as confused as the characters, letting the dread build in the dark corners of the room. It is less a jump-scare machine and more a puzzle box with teeth. If you can handle the tension of a locked room, you will find the mechanics of the trap surprisingly satisfying.
What the critics said
The critics were torn, which suits a film about a man in a bathroom. Rotten Tomatoes lists a 49% Tomatometer score as of November 2022, while Metacritic assigns a 46/100 Metascore as of June 2025. The consensus notes the plot is clever but the tone feels mean rather than profound. Kim Newman of Empire praised the intricate structure and claustrophobia, calling it a satisfying mystery. Dennis Harvey of Variety wasn’t as charmed, dismissing the script as a crude concoction of severed parts. It’s a puzzle that works if you ignore the mess around it.
How it did with audiences
It cost $1 million and took $103 million worldwide, a ratio that makes the accounting department smile and the rest of us nod. On TMDB, users rate it 7.4 out of 10. That is a solid score for a movie that turns a basement trap into a cultural phenomenon. The audience clearly did the math before the studio did.
What came next for the cast
Tobin Bell went from GoodFellas to a straight run of Saw sequels. Danny Glover moved from Lethal Weapon to Jumanji: The Next Level. Cary Elwes traded Bram Stoker’s Dracula for Stranger Things. The credits show a career drift, not a causal link. They just show what followed.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Saw.
Sources
- Saw on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q486239 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Saw (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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