The tenth film received generally positive reviews from critics, becoming the first film in the franchise to do so. The first, second, third, sixth, and ninth film received mixed reviews, while the fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth film received negative reviews. The film series has been a box office success, grossing more than $1 billion from box office and retail sales. Both creators remain with the franchise as executive producers. From 2004 to 2010, each film was released on the Friday before Halloween. Five directors have worked on the series: James Wan, Darren Lynn Bousman, David Hackl, Kevin Greutert and The Spierig Brothers while Whannell, Bousman, Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan, Josh Stolberg, and Peter Goldfinger have written the screenplays. After its immensely successful opening weekend, the first of many sequels was immediately green-lit. It was ultimately successful, and, in 2004, the first installment debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically that October by Lionsgate. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to receive funding in their home country of Australia, Wan and Whannell traveled to the United States, after several producers expressed interest in the project. In 2003, Wan and Whannell made a short film to help pitch a potential feature film concept, after having the original script written for several years. Rather than killing his victims outright, he traps them in life-threatening situations that he refers to as 'tests' or 'games' to test their will to survive through physical or psychological torture, believing that if they survive, they will be 'rehabilitated'. Kramer was introduced briefly in Saw and developed in more detail in the subsequent films. The series revolves around the fictional serial killer John 'Jigsaw' Kramer and his apprentices. Saw is the fifth highest-grossing horror film franchise.

The franchise has expanded into various films and other media, including a television series, video games, comic books, music, theme park attractions, and merchandising including toys, masks, and clothing. Saw is a horror media franchise created by Australian film makers James Wan and Leigh Whannell, which began with the eponymous 2004 film and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon.

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