Like This Watch That: Horror Movies Like Saw That Are Smart Innovative Standouts

Saw has become one of the most profitable horror films and spawned a long running franchise with nine sequels as of 2023.

“Saw” combines elements of psychological horror, gore, and suspense with a unique premise and complex characters, making it a standout in the horror genre and earning its place as a beloved and enduring classic.

Here are some suggestions for movies like saw for you to add to your must watch horror list.

These horror movies are smart, innovative and standout from other movies in the horror genre.

Who is this list of horror movies like Saw for?

• Fans of the horror genre
• Those who like extreme movies with unique plots and smart characters
• Those who are looking for a standout horror movie

What information is provided about each horror movie in this selection?

• The movie title and release year of the movie
• Image of movie
• Director
• A list of actors in the movie
• Link to the movie in IMDb – For movie reviews, where to stream, ratings, trailers and lots more.
• Link to where movie is streaming for FREE (if available)
• A movie summary

Don’t forget to download the FREE MOVIE CHECKLIST to keep track of what movies you want to watch!

Here are the 22 Clever Horror Movies Like Saw

We have selected movies that are similar in tone, style and plot to Saw as suggestions for you to watch next!

1. Hostel (2005)

• Director: Eli Roth
• Cast: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson
• Hostel on IMDb

Directed by Eli Roth, “Hostel” is a horror film known for its gruesome torture scenes and suspenseful storytelling. Hostel (2005) is about three backpackers who travel to Slovakia, where they are lured into a hostel that is actually a torture chamber for wealthy sadists.

2. The Collector (2009)

• Director: Marcus Dunstan
• Cast: Josh Stewart, Andrea Roth, Juan Fernández
• The Collector on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

The Collector (2009) is a horror film about a burglar who breaks into a house, only to find out that another criminal has already rigged it with deadly traps and kidnapped the family. He must survive and save the family from the masked killer

3. Cube (1997)

• Director: Vincenzo Natali
• Cast: Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint, David Hewlett
• Cube on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

This Canadian science fiction horror film involves a group of strangers trapped in a maze of deadly mystery rooms, testing their survival instincts. They have to work together to find a way out, while discovering the connection between them and the reason for their imprisonment.

4. Escape Room (2019)

• Director: Adam Robitel
• Cast: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis
• Escape Room on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

Six people are invited to participate in an escape room game, where they have to solve puzzles and clues to advance to the next level. However, they soon realize that the game is deadly and they are being watched by a mysterious mastermind.

5. The Belko Experiment (2016)

• Director: Greg McLean
• Cast: John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona
• The Belko Experiment on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

A group of 80 American workers in a corporate office building in Bogotá, Colombia, are forced by an unknown voice on the company’s intercom system to participate in a deadly game of kill or be killed. The film explores the themes of human nature, morality, and survival.

6. Devil (2010)

• Director: John Erick Dowdle
• Cast: Chris Messina, Caroline Dhavernas, Bokeem Woodbine
• Devil on IMDb

Five strangers are trapped in an elevator, where one of them is the Devil in disguise. As they start to die one by one, they have to figure out who is the evil one among them and how to stop them.

7. Exam (2009)

• Director: Stuart Hazeldine
• Cast: Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, Nathalie Cox
• Exam on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

Eight candidates who are in the final stage of selection for a prestigious job are given 80 minutes to answer one question in a sealed room. But they find out that their papers are blank. They have to figure out the question and the rules of the game before time runs out.

8. Nine Dead (2009)

• Director: Chris Shadley
• Cast: Melissa Joan Hart, William Lee Scott, John Terry
• Nine Dead on IMDb

Nine people who are kidnapped and chained to poles in a bunker. A masked gunman tells them that he will kill one of them every ten minutes unless they can figure out why they are there and how they are connected. The film reveals the secrets and sins of each character as they try to survive.

9. Would You Rather (2012)

• Director: David Guy Levy
• Actors: Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, Sasha Grey
• Would You Rather on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

In “Would You Rather,” a group of desperate individuals is invited to a mysterious dinner party hosted by a wealthy but eccentric man. As the night progresses, they realize they’re unwitting participants in a sadistic game where they must choose between horrifying options. It’s a tense and thrilling ride that keeps you guessing until the very end.

10. Scream (1996)

• Director: Wes Craven
• Actors: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
• Scream on IMDb

“Scream” revitalized the slasher genre by cleverly playing with horror movie tropes and delivering both scares and laughs. The story follows a group of high school students who become the targets of a masked killer known as Ghostface. Filled with witty dialogue and unexpected twists, “Scream” is a must watch for horror fans.

11. The Platform (2019)

• Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
• Actors: Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan
• The Platform on IMDb

In “The Platform,” prisoners in a vertical prison are fed via a platform that descends through the levels. As it goes down, food becomes scarcer, leading to a brutal struggle for survival.

12. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

• Director: Drew Goddard
• Actors: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison
• The Cabin in the Woods on IMDb

A group of friends heads to a remote cabin for a weekend getaway, only to encounter sinister forces at play. What starts as a typical horror movie scenario takes unexpected twists and turns, making this a unique standout in the horror genre.

13. Get Out (2017)

• Director: Jordan Peele
• Actors: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford
• Get Out on IMDb

When Chris, a young African American man, visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he uncovers a disturbing secret that plunges him into a nightmare.

14. You’re Next (2011)

• Director: Adam Wingard
• Actors: Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen
• You’re Next on IMDb

“You’re Next” is giving off some fierce survivalist energy. When a family reunion is interrupted by masked assailants, one guest unexpectedly reveals a knack for fighting back. What follows is a relentless battle for survival filled with twists, turns, and unexpected moments of dark humor.

15. Lights Out (2016)

• Director: David F. Sandberg
• Actors: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Maria Bello
• Lights Out on IMDb

When a young woman discovers that her brother is experiencing the same terrifying phenomenon that once haunted her, they must confront a malevolent entity that only appears in the darkness. With tense atmosphere and jump scares aplenty, this film will make you think twice before turning off the lights.

16. Thirteen Ghosts (2001)

• Director: Steve Beck
• Actors: Tony Shalhoub, Shannon Elizabeth, Embeth Davidtz
• Thirteen Ghosts on IMDb

A family inherits a lavish mansion with a dark secret, it’s a machine designed to capture and contain ghosts. When the machine malfunctions, unleashing the trapped spirits, the family must fight for survival against the vengeful specters. With its unique premise and inventive ghost designs, this film is another horror standout.

17. Green Room (2015)

• Director: Jeremy Saulnier
• Actors: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Patrick Stewart
• Green Room on IMDb

“Green Room” plunges audiences into a claustrophobic nightmare when a punk band finds themselves trapped in a secluded venue after witnessing a violent crime. Cornered by a gang of ruthless neo-Nazis led by a chilling Patrick Stewart, the band must use their wits and whatever makeshift weapons they can find to survive the night.

18. Don’t Breathe (2016)

• Director: Fede Alvarez
• Actors: Jane Levy, Stephen Lang, Dylan Minnette
• Don’t Breathe on IMDb

A group of young burglars target the home of a blind man, thinking it will be an easy score. However, they soon discover that their victim is not as helpless as he seems, leading to a tense game of cat and mouse where even the slightest sound could mean death.

19. Cheap Thrills (2013)

• Director: E.L. Katz
• Actors: Pat Healy, Sara Paxton, Ethan Embry
• Cheap Thrills on IMDb

“Cheap Thrills” explores just how far people are willing to go for money when a struggling family man encounters an eccentric couple who offer increasingly bizarre dares in exchange for cash. As the stakes escalate, morality is pushed to its limits in this darkly comedic and twisted tale of desperation and depravity.

20. The Hunt (2020)

• Director: Craig Zobel
• Actors: Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Ike Barinholtz
• The Hunt on IMDb

“The Hunt” turns the tables on the typical survival horror formula by pitting a group of strangers against each other in a deadly game orchestrated by a mysterious organization. They fight for their lives against wealthy elites who hunt them for sport. It’s a thrilling and provocative film.

21. Midnight Meat Train (2008)

• Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
• Actors: Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones
• Midnight Meat Train on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

A photographer becomes obsessed with capturing the city’s dark underbelly, only to stumble upon a sinister underground operation involving a mysterious butcher. As he delves deeper into the mystery, he discovers horrifying truths that threaten to consume him.

22. The Girl in the Photographs (2015)

• Director: Nick Simon
• Actors: Kal Penn, Claudia Lee, Kenny Wormald
• The Girl in the Photographs on IMDb
• Streaming FREE on Tubi

A young woman becomes the target of a sadistic serial killer obsessed with recreating famous crime scenes in his photographs. As the body count rises, she must race against time to uncover the killer’s identity before she becomes his next subject.

BONUS Horror Movies Like Saw Streaming FREE on Tubi

Escape Room
Escape Room (different from the one above)
Jeepers Creepers
The Ward
Child’s Play
House of 1,000 Corpses

---

Thanks for reading this article for horror movies like saw inspiration!

If you love horror, than checkout our other articles on horror movies!

We hope to see you again soon.