Tobin Bell Confirms What Sets 'Saw' Apart From Other Horror Franchises

With eight films having already been released, fans are still craving new installments in the Saw [...]

With eight films having already been released, fans are still craving new installments in the Saw series. Actor Tobin Bell has appeared in each entry, even though his character technically "died" in the third film. Bell recently shared that it was the unpredictable nature of each film and their narrative timelines that sets the series apart from other long-running franchises.

"One of the things about Saw is that what you see is not necessarily what you're going to get. You may think you're seeing something, and it goes back to Saw 1. You see a dead guy on the floor. Everybody sees him, he's there, he's right there, and then, wow," Bell shared with ComicBook.com. "I think that the creators of these films have a lot of respect for that, that surprise element, and I think that's part of what sets the Saw films apart from some other horror franchises, is that they're quite intricate and surprising in some ways."

Bell portrays John Kramer, also known as the "Jigsaw Killer," who puts his victims in elaborate traps in which they must willingly sacrifice a part of themselves or face certain death. Since his character's death in Saw III, other murderers have taken his place, with each killer having somehow been connected to Kramer.

"I feel really good about what I've done so far with this guy. Have I put stuff on a back burner and hope that we have a chance to expose more of who he is? Yeah. And I think the writers, and there have been a variety of different writers, but I think the writers and producers are very much on the same page," the actor pointed out of how each film explores Kramer's past. "What's interesting is how slowly and gently the people who create these films are revealing the direction and why. And the intricate time frames that have gotten used and the new Jigsaw, continued to do that, you think you're in one time frame, then you find you're in another time."

The various timelines aren't the only exciting components of the series, as it often explores bigger philosophical themes about sacrifice and what it's like to appreciate one's life.

"I think they make people think, and some of the concepts in the films are quite compelling, and make people think about themselves, and how they relate to their own lives, and people talk to me about that all the time," Bell confessed. "And, that's what makes doing these films rewarding for me, is that they make people think."

The latest chapter in the Saw series, Jigsaw, is available now on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.

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