Saw: The True Story That Inspired The Horror Movie

screenrant.com:

Of all the ways to describe the Saw horror movies, «inspired by a true story» probably isn't one that's commonly thought of. However, the basis of the first film is loosely based on a couple of real events and people that inspired the creators of this long-running horror franchise.

Like John Kramer/Jigsaw himself, the Saw franchise didn't fade away as quickly as some people might have expected. Factoring in the latest installment, Spiral, there's a total of nine Saw films. This makes ten if factoring in James Wan's short film that started it all. Needless to say, the Saw movie series is a successful franchise that is likely to continue (although some think Saw 7: The Final Chapter should have been the last film). Regardless, the franchise has been a turning point not only for the horror genre, but for Leigh Whannell and James Wan, who have gone on to have incredible careers in horror and beyond.

Related: A Spiral Sequel Can Work (But Only If Chris Rock Is The Villain)

While all films in the franchise have been fairly popular and successful, Saw III is number one in terms of earnings. It managed to bring in nearly $165 million globally, which is impressive for such a brutal film. Though the concept is reasonably far-fetched by most people's standards, the original inspirations for Whannell and Wan's Saw franchise came from ideas pulled out of real-life stories.

Leigh Whannell, writer for the first three horror films in the Saw franchise (and Adam in the first film), got the idea for John Kramer's character from a real-life experience at the hospital. In an interview with The AV Club, Whannell tells that when he was 24, he began to have severe migraines. Fearful of something serious like a brain tumor, he eventually went