Just when you think there can't be more lore to unravel in the world of Saw, this iconic horror staple comes back to prove us wrong. Saw X sits between the events of Saw and Saw II, sending an ill John Kramer (Tobin Bell) to Mexico in search of a miracle cancer cure. When he discovers that all is not as it seems, he takes the necessary steps to set up a deadly new game.
While Chris Rock's 2021 attempt to "reinvent" the franchise ended in disaster, Saw X effectively delivers a sequel that both feels like the Saw we know and love, and brings a fresh approach we've never seen before. Every other film in the franchise has adopted an identical approach - the core focus is on the traps and trap subjects, while the secondary focus is on the police/FBI investigation. Then, amongst all that, John Kramer's story is intermittently told through flashbacks and slightly more featured roles in Saw II and III. This time, director Kevin Greutert has shifted all the focus onto Tobin Bell's John Kramer, making him the main character for the first time. It's wild to think that Jigsaw had never been the main character of his own franchise, despite there being eight mainline films to date. To put it simply, this is first and foremost a character study of John Kramer with a secondary focus on the bloody traps and test subjects. Plus, with no FBI investigation subplot, the narrative is allowed to breathe and ample time is given to flesh out John's journey.
The first act is significant in representing the tonal shift for the franchise. Rather than launching immediately into a new, deadly game with a lightning-fast pace, the film takes the slow-burn approach. The first 30 minutes is a pensive thriller with an emotional punch that gives us even more insight into the mind of John Kramer. This could have been a grave misstep for the franchise, but it's actually deeply fascinating thanks to some quality writing and a stellar performance from Tobin Bell. At 82 years old and after nearly 20 years of portraying this character, he's put in what may be his best performance yet. He's given the chance to bring the character to life in a brand new way, giving us a greater peek behind the curtain than any flashback has ever given. Through showcasing how his life experiences have gradually and consistently broken him, it adds a greater level of understanding to the character's mindset. It doesn't try to rationalise or justify the means to which he exacts his justice, but it does humanise the man even more than ever.
Once all the setup is out of the way and the motivation for John's next game has been established, the pace picks up and the blood starts flowing. The traps this time around are exceptionally brutal and gloriously entertaining to watch, although there are two that don't quite hit. There's one in which someone is suspended by chains that was very mediocre in its execution - it's an interesting idea, but won't go down as an all-time great trap. Then there's the film's opening trap, which is awesome, but there's one key detail about the trap that I consider to be a cop-out. This "thing" has been done once before in the franchise - I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. That being said, the rest of the traps are exhilarating and wonderfully grotesque, but not overly so. They lean heavily into the gore and ride the fine line of being complex yet simple, a line that many of the greatest Saw traps have nailed.
As all of the promotional material has advertised, Shawnee Smith returns to the franchise as Amanda Young for the first time since 2009's Saw VI. Just like how Tobin brings a career-best performance as John, this may be the best Shawnee has ever been as Amanda. She leaps right back into the role as Jigsaw's protégé and it's like she never missed a beat. She channels everything that made the character so compelling in her appearances in both Saw II and III, only this time is given even more time to flesh out her relationship with John. The last time we saw Amanda interacting with John, he was quite literally on his death bed, so it's great to see this pseudo father-daughter relationship be heavily focused on this time around. Shawnee adds to the emotional weight of the story much like Tobin does, showing the humanity of these two people who have bonded over their newfound purpose in life. Something that should be noted is that there's a suspension of disbelief you need when considering the 54 year-old Shawnee is playing an Amanda that's around 20 years younger. It's not something that ruins the film, but it's very noticeable, especially if you've just come out of watching Saw II.
The presence of franchise mainstay Kevin Greutert in the director's chair is the reason this sequel nails the franchise's staple aesthetic and editing style. As the editor of nearly every entry, as well as the director of Saw VI and VII, he's got his finger on the pulse of what makes the franchise great. His understanding of how to film traps and edit them in a way that emphasises the violence and mayhem is invaluable. That being said, his decision to take the signature structure in a new direction shows his unique understanding of what the franchise needs to flourish. As long as he's at the helm going forward, Saw is in good hands.
In the end, Saw X is everything I wanted to see, and also everything I didn't know I needed. The story is much stronger than many of the Saw sequels and it's all thanks to the heavy focus on John Kramer. They delve deeper into the character than ever before and give a fascinating look into his psyche. Tobin Bell is exceptional -he's in almost every single shot and he nails every second. He's ruthless, vulnerable and captivating. Honestly, he could almost have more screen time in this film than in every other Saw entry combined. Coupled with great traps, ample gore, a killer score and enthralling violence, this puts the franchise in a great position to thrive with more quality sequels.
8.3/10
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