TheSawfranchise will turn 20 next year. It’s the fifth highest-grossing horror franchise of all time. Watching these simple torture horror films grow from no-budget directorial debut to sought-after blockbusters has been jaw-dropping. WithSaw X, the franchise will finally remove the rod it made for its back and focus on its core competencies. It’s almost unquestionably the best entry since the original, but it’s still torturous in parts.
Kevin Greutert is backwhere he belongs. He’s been withSawsince the beginning. He edited the first eight entries, directedSaw VIand3D, and did both forSaw X. His choppy, disquieting, bizarre editing style is high on the long list of things that make this franchise iconic. Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger return after writing the last two films. The standards ofSawwriting are subterranean, but they find ways to soar above and dig below them.
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Set shortlyafter the events ofSawbut before the events ofSaw II, which actually places it after many of the events of every other film,Saw Xfinds John Kramer near the end of his battle with cancer. While fans have seen him torture doctors who mislabeled his charts, insurance agents who refused his coverage, his oncologist, a hospital orderly, and many other medical professionals, this entry finds him seeking unorthodox treatment. John spots a former terminal patient he knew looking fully recovered and asks for his secret. John learns of an experimental treatment by a controversial doctor. The miracle worker has gone into hiding, but his daughter, Cecilia Pederson, offers John a chance at the cure. He flies to Mexico and undergoes treatment. He leaves convinced he’ll lead a long, happy life. John returns to the makeshift OR and discovers his surgery was faked, and he’s been conned, along with a line of other terminal patients. He’s happy toreturn to his hobbyin pursuit of revenge.
Someone finally realized what every fan already knew. The secretweapon of theSawfranchiseisn’t its traps, gore, or premise. It’s Tobin Bell as Jigsaw. He’s the man who spent two weeks on a bathroom floor in a pool of blood. Bell has spoken publicly about his attachment to the role and his contributions to the franchise. DuringSaw IV, he reportedly offered advice that fixed a mechanical problem in one of the traps. His character died inSaw III, then appeared in every sequel except forSpiral. The writers tied the story in knots, trying to keep Tobin around.Saw Xrests comfortably on his shoulders, giving him his most significant part in the franchise yet. All horror franchisesgradually center the villainover the victims, butSaw Xwants to push against the notion of Kramer as a bad guy.
There’s not much in the plot to discuss. The twists work well enough, even if most of them can be seen coming from a mile away. The traps vary wildly. A general surgical theme makessome of Jigsaw’s gamesa bit too thoughtful. The trailers reveal a fake surgeon forced to cut out a chunk of his brain and a woman cutting off her leg with a Gigli saw. They don’t show off sillier moments, like when a presumably intelligent con artist cuts out a dead woman’s intestines to use them as a makeshift rope. YouTubers who enjoy pointing out obvious solutions will have a field day with this film, but that’s nothing new. Cecilia Pederson, the film’s antagonist, is one of the worst characters in the franchise so far. She stops being a rational human being after a point in a vague attempt to make Jigsaw look decent.Shawnee Smith is backas Amanda Young. She was excellent in the role when Amanda was a fragile, recovering drug addict, but she’s gotten worse in every subsequent appearance. Every problem they excised is replaced with a new one, making for a bizarre experience.
Saw Xtasked its franchise with a Jigsaw-like game. It had to hack off all of its vestigial plot threads in order to survive. It grits its teeth and does the deed, but like most of Jigsaw’s victims, it’s hard not to spend a lot of time wanting that limb back.Saw Xis better thanthe otherSawsequelsbut worse than the original. It’s a great showcase for Tobin Bell, even as it struggles to make his character seem appealing. Fans of the franchise or lovers of mindless gore will get their fill, but this isn’t going to be the torture horror outing that changes anyone’s mind.Saw Xdoesn’t want to play a new game. It just wants to improve the old one enough to get by.
Saw X
Cast
John Kramer returns to his dark work after a group of con artists tricks him with a fake cancer cure.
