Saw X

As the horror genre has moved on to new influences and the popularity of nostalgia has begun to wane, the 19 year old Saw franchise returns with its tenth film, taking things back to its original roots with the return of original iconic villain Jigsaw aka John Kramer (Tobin Bell). Seeing as the villain died at the very end of the third film, with the fourth film, memorable, opening with his autopsy, the decision to bring the character back

After series rebootquel Jigsaw failed to ignite much passion among fans and the 2022 Chris Rock-starring spinoff Spiral: From the Book of Saw, proved an amicable, but flawed attempt at the taking the franchise in a different direction. Series veteran/filmmaker Kevin Greutert takes the franchise ingredients back to its basics with a contained, cold-blooded revenge story that reminds audiences why this series was so popular in the first place.

Set between the events of Saw 1 and Saw 2, this tenth installment in the Saw franchise follows John Kramer (Tobin Bell) as his Cancer diagnosis leaves him with just a few months left to live. Depressed and struggling with the reality of his diagnosis, John learns of an experimental surgery that just might be his miracle cure. When it’s revealed the surgery was all one big con, leaving John robbed and stranded in Mexico, he decides to enlist the help of his apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) in exacting, not revenge, but rather a “reawakening” to those who ripped him off.

Kevin Greutert, who edited every film since the 2004 original, and directed Saw VI and Saw 3D, forgoes the typical Saw formula, solidified, primarily, by the second and third films. Saw X is a more grounded, character-driven film that largely emphasizes character depth over easy gore. Taking a personal approach to one of the horror genre’s most human villains, the script, penned by franchise regulars Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg, intelligently takes its time to portray the classic Jigsaw character as a man reckoning with his mortality, driven to a point of no return. While Jigsaw was always a sympathetic figure, far more human than most other horror icons, despite the franchise’s overwhelming body count, there’s a considerable amount of depth here not truly felt in any previous Saw film.

Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw is one of the most unique horror icons. He’s not necessarily a killer as he never does any killing himself, despite some notable attempts, namely slicing Danny Glover’s throat in the first film, but his moral code makes him stand apart from classic titans of terror. It’s rare we’re given a late-series entry in a franchise that adds great nuance to its icon and Tobin Bell’s performance is both delicately rendered, and menacing. Exploring the early dynamic between Kramer and Amanda allows for both Bell and Smith to give these characters more humanity, particularly Amanda. From Amanda’s admiration, mirrored with her own inner struggle with Kramer’s philosophy and the hypocrisy that comes with his morals, to the character struggling with her own complacency in his torturous games. Shawnee Smith gives her most impactful dramatic turn as this character.

For as strong as the character work is, this is still a Saw film, retaining that distinct visual look, grungy camerawork, editing, and all. Saw X also contains a number of traps that are remarkably gruesome, even for the franchise. That Grand Guignol sense of showmanship is on full display with some downright nasty practical gore gags. Some of the new traps include a man having to perform brain surgery on himself to extract a certain amount of brain matter. The well-publicized eye vacuum trap is squirm-inducing.

One sequence requires a character to use a hammer to bash herself out of the chains around her hand and ankle, while being propelled mid-air. There’s a trap involving a woman slicing her own leg off and horrifically extracting her bone marrow, and a scene involving the self-explanatory act of bloodboarding. The film even throws in one inspired bit of dark humor with an inventive use of human entrails.

The narrative focus drags every so often throughout its 118 minute runtime and the film does reach a peak before its long-winded finale. Sure, the inevitable twist ending doesn’t have the shock or tenacity as many other entries, an early  dream sequence feels like a cheap studio note and the film saves its only true piece of cheap fan-service for its post-credits scene. Fortunately, these shortcoming are fleeting and don’t heavily detract from all the film has going for it.

Saw X is a strong addition to a franchise that has lasted almost two decades. Putting emphasis on character depth and sturdy storytelling, this is a late-series entry that returns to what made the Saw franchise intriguing. It’s also the goriest horror film since Terrifier 2.