Saw X

Saw X
Starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnove Macody Lund, Steven Brand
Directed by Kevin Greutert

Back in 2004, a film called "Saw" revolutionized horror cinema and gave birth to a new subgenre known as "torture porn" that centers on sadistic violence and torture. The story of "Saw" is intriguing and multi-layered, as it's not your typical horror movie. The "villain" so to speak never actually kills anyone, but he gives them a choice - live or die, and if they choose to live they'll appreciate their lives even more after what he puts them through to "cleanse" them of their sins. These "victims" aren't innocents, but rather people who deserved what they got and more, but in the hands of John Kramer they're given another shot at life along the straight and narrow path. The second film excels at this theory, but then the third film all the way down the line abandons this thought in favor of full-on torture violence with either very little plot, or a convoluted plot that makes absolutely no sense. It all culminated in 2021's "Spiral" which was a spinoff of sorts starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson that really lost the footing of what made the first two "Saw" films so successful. So when news of a tenth (!) "Saw" film came, everyone was rightfully weary - until it was announced that Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith were returning to reprise their long-absent roles of John Kramer and his victim-turned-student Amanda Young. Obviously not a direct sequel of the later films, "Saw X" is firmly rooted between the first and second films in the timeline, and as such serves as the third best "Saw" film out of the bunch.

John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is already known as the Jigsaw Killer, but no one yet knows his true identity. He uses this anonymity to hide in pain sight as he deals with brain cancer that's put a ticking clock on his own life. Feeling hopeless, he soon learns from a fellow cancer patient that there's a treatment out there that can cure him of his brain cancer. He travels to Mexico to undergo the surgery by Cecilia Pederson (Synnove Macody Lund) and her team in secret as she worries that the pharmaceutical world is hunting her down for her life-saving treatment.

After undergoing the surgery John has a new lease on life, until he discovers that they actually did nothing and duped him out of his money and, more importantly, his hope. Wanting to right the wrongs committed to him - and give Cecilia and her team a chance for redemption - he kidnaps them along with his protege Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) and force them to play games of survival that will either end in their violent death or give them a new lease on life.


The Good:
"Saw X" returns to the roots of the "Saw" franchise in that it offers those playing the games a chance for survival, where other recent "Saw" films only gave the illusion of escaping. The players here are a bunch of low-life scum who swindle cancer patients out of their hard earned money in hopes of a cure but gives them a placebo instead, and honestly they needed to pay for their crimes. While not serving essentially as judge, jury, and executioner, John Kramer still holds court with an iron fist but is also just in his judgment: he gives them a way out, even if it'll scar them for life. The traps set for the team is tailor-made for their own sins, which is also something missing from recent "Saw" outings. It makes it all the more personal and powerful as they work toward their redemption if they so choose.

The team is a bunch of scumbags who are played with perfection by the actors, especially Synnove Macody Lund. As the ringleader of the group, Cecilia seems totally devoid of emotion or empathy, and she exists solely for audiences to see her eventual comeuppance, since everyone knows Kramer and Amanda survive this since it's a film that serves as a bridge between "Saw" and "Saw II." Their cold demeanor is lost when they find themselves fighting for their lives, and some will resort to anything (and, I do mean anything) to survive.

The franchise is best known for its unique trap designs, and "Saw X" is no different. They're magnificent in their creation and lethal in their execution, and is done so well you feel like it's really happening. The sound mixing and editing add to this sense of nausea from the audience as they witness every cut, every drill, every ear-shattering scream as if it's happening in real life. This film, more than most of the others, really focuses on this aspect and leaves a lasting impact.

The celebrated return of Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith is the film's main selling point, and to that end they achieve it brilliantly. We all know John Kramer has cancer, but in an odd way we never saw Tobin Bell really perform in this respect. His character is more on the peripheral of his own franchise, hiding in the shadows and controlling things from a distance. Here he's wholly invested in his quest, and receives the most screen time here than in any other outing, and we get to witness Bell's impeccable performance. He gives John Kramer a sense of honor, and most importantly sympathy. He's just a man who wants his cancer gone, and when his hopes are dashed we really can't fault him for wanting revenge. You see his pain through his eyes, his gravely voice, and his mannerisms that make him sympathetic and also in an odd sense relatable as well. It's the deepest we've ever seen the character, and Bell more than delivers.

Shawnee Smith also excels as the psychotic-yet-lovable Amanda, a woman who was once a victim of Jigsaw's traps before she escaped and found a new lease on life, serving as John's most loyal protege. She has a great mix of insanity and heart, like a real-life Harley Quinn, and you can tell she's enjoying being back in the fold.

The gore is amped up to eleven, as nothing is left to the imagination, which makes for a bloody good time. While the story of a man dealing with his cancer is an admirable one, there's only one reason audiences pay money for a ticket to a "Saw" movie - the carnage. Here blood flows in streams, body parts get cut apart, and vengeance is enacted with its own righteous judgment.


The Bad:
There's an early scene where John contemplates trapping a man who's considering doing the wrong thing which really isn't needed in the story, and could've cut the longest film in the franchise down a bit without losing any of its punch.

The final act drags on for a bit, especially since we know the outcome already and I found myself waiting impatiently for it to happen.


The Summary:
Serving as a true to form return to the franchise, "Saw X" serves as the third best outing in the long-running franchise, a franchise everyone thought long dead but brought back to life thanks to the long-awaited return of the franchise's main stars.


The Score: A-