Saw X (FANTASTIC) Brings the Series Back to Its Bloody, Enjoyable Roots
Title: Saw X
First Non-Festival Release: September 25, 2023 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Kevin Greutert
Writer: Josh Stolberg, Pete Goldfinger
Runtime: 118 Minutes
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2023.
Do you want to play a game? One of the longest running franchises in the horror genre, Saw, has made an impact on pop culture that has cemented it as one of the most iconic series ever made. Most everyone has heard of Saw in one form or another, and many can easily identify the series from just a few short sentences.
Saw X takes place in between Saw and Saw II where John Kramer (Tobin Bell) takes a trip to Mexico so he can participate in an experimental treatment for his advanced brain cancer. Run by Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund), the facility is staffed with only a few people: a nurse (Paulette Hernandez), a doctor (Octavio Hinojosa), an aide (Renata Vaca), and a driver (Joshua Okamoto). What initially seems like salvation crumbles when John realizes he has been played after discovering the entire operation is a scam. He enlists the help of his apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) to test the entire crew to see if they will put themselves back on the straight and narrow.
Jigsaw’s return in Saw X ushers in plenty of twisted justice to satisfy fans and gore hounds alike.
The decision to reset the Saw series back in timeline and de-tangle itself from the current web of messy plot points is the right one as evident by the latest sequel. Fans of the Saw series stay devoted for two main reasons: the intricacy and terrifying nature of the various traps implemented on its victims and the ridiculous nature of its increasingly convoluted plot. This is acknowledged with love, of course, as Saw X lays the groundwork to explain more of the mechanics for John’s philosophies, what drives him to complete his work, and shows how it is possible.
Throughout the series, John’s cancer diagnosis is often a point of contention with the specific people who failed him with his treatment while seeking a cure. In this tenth installment, John daydreams about putting a janitor in a trap for his sticky fingers before John’s death stare prompts the man to return the items he stole. It’s clear that John didn’t intend to do anything, as his health has resigned him to hopelessness, essentially giving up on his life’s work. That hope is reinvigorated and then crushed when he is made to believe there is a cure that only a sketchy guerilla operation can provide far away from home.
Then, after jumping through so many hoops to survive, he is left broken at the realization that he has been betrayed. It is no surprise that this moment is the catalyst for him to return to his ways of testing other’s will to live. At this point too, he has Amanda as an apprentice who has yet to participate so actively in running the games. This moment is an excellent insight into her state of mind between the events of Saw and Saw II. After being involved with the abduction of Jigsaw’s victims in the first film, Amanda relapses which gives her a reason to go into the games for Saw II. Amanda’s intense fixation and desire for Gabriela, another victim who suffers from substance use disorder, to win her games is met with fury when she isn’t given a full chance to succeed. This rage, combined with who lives and how, serves as an excellent precursor for her later departure from John’s philosophy of change. She herself cannot change no matter how hard she tries, and she doesn’t see the growth in others, which makes for a dangerous combination psychologically.
This development isn’t limited to the antagonists, of course, but also extends to the very people that John hopes to test. The selection of victims are the usual forms of folks who are desperate and disconnected from the pain they are causing. They all have varying levels of involvement, but all know about the scummy things they do to earn a living. As always with Jigsaw, their motivations are questioned, and they are offered the chance to prove themselves worthy of a second chance. While their actions are largely intolerable, the conclusion yields some odd deviations from John’s philosophy, particularly with Cecilia’s trap and most of his victims being exploited Mexican workers living in several degrees of poverty.
Of course, where’s the fun in a Saw film if there isn’t a sufficient supply of terror inspiring traps? Thankfully, Saw X keeps its approach to horror simple but effective while true to the series. Each device is more insidious than the next, inspiring plenty of recoils, jumps, and winces as they churn body party after body part. The creativity never ceases to amaze, as John and Amanda have a sick way of turning the crew’s medical based horrors onto themselves. A particularly inspired trap involves one character suspended in mid-air with a terrifyingly unique torture device that will have any sane person squirming in their seat.
Fans of the franchise will rejoice that after a few missteps Saw X gets the series back on the train in the most glorious of manners. Its stripped-down approach to character development, plot, and the traps we all fear makes this entry one of the best since the original. It falters a bit in some elements, namely the third act reveal that changes some dynamics in the test along with its politics surrounding many of its victims. Saw X does a resounding job of putting the energy back into Saw and making it a fun and exciting watch. In the spirit of Saw, watch or don’t. Make your choice.
Overall Score? 7/10
