Review: Saw X

After discovering he only has a few months to live, John Kramer (Tobin Bell) travels to Mexico to partake in experimental surgery to cure his brain cancer. However, when he figures out it was a scam, in typical Kramer style, those involved are tested in some of the goriest, cringe-inducing traps witnessed throughout the Saw anthology.

While being the tenth entry to the franchise, chronologically it occurs between the original and second movie. However, there is little context required, making this a great movie to watch first for newcomers intrigued by the surprisingly strong marketing campaign by Lionsgate, compared to the more low-key releases of the last few entries.

Although situated within a well-established horror franchise primarily associated with ‘graphic and gory scenes, Saw X takes ample time during its first half to establish a well thought out story, somehow enabling the audience to sympathise with this frail, dying serial killer. While none of the previous entries really try to entertain such notions, the brilliant script writing, paired with Bell’s best performance to date had me invested in Kramer’s situation to the extent that I even found myself rooting for him.

…the commitment to storytelling paired with the intimacy of the situation comes together to create a spectacular story

We’ve had Saw movies which establish backstory, explore the morality of Kramer’s work and even pseudo-spin-off stories. However, the route writers Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger takes the story is not only unique regarding the point of view, but it goes out of the way to make audiences question their allegiance through the clever way they evoke sympathy for his position. We experience his pain, his fear, and proximity to death through his perspective. Since so much effort is put into contextualizing the betrayal, its impact on the audience resonates deeper. The entire cinema knew how he felt at this moment, creating a powerful moment which still gives me shivers.

The way in which the tone of the movie drastically shifted upon this realisation he had been scammed encapsulates the extent to which the writers wanted to write a love letter to Saw fans. We were gifted a well-structured story, with brilliant pacing, an aspect that previous entries faced considerable critique for lacking. Whereas many of the Jigsaw’s victims are personally disconnected from him, this time it is personal. This presents an undeniable excitement, as we become invested in the outcome of the traps in ways previous entries have failed to achieve. As stated by Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) ‘Out of all the men to cheat, you choose John Kramer? I mean, I call that epic bad luck’. What enhances this feeling is the brutality and originality of the traps. I haven’t grimaced at a movie sequence like I did during Diego (Joshua Okamoto) and Valentia’s (Paulette Hernández) respective traps. However, the commitment to storytelling paired with the intimacy of the situation comes together to create a spectacular story.

To fully appreciate this movies success in saving the franchise from its unimaginative cycle it was clearly stuck in, we need to recognise the commitment to character development. From her introduction in Saw, Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) was an instant fan-favourite despite many of her character flaws going under-explored in the series. However, Saw X fixes this, by adding the much-desired depth fans have longed for since her debut in 2004. Like John, Amanda’s characterisation is sympathetic, which works to explain her questionable actions in Saw 2 and Saw 3. The relationship she shares with Gabriella (Renata Vaca) truly conveyed to fans this commitment while exposing the range the actors could offer. The cast alone and their interactions with one another placed this movie within my top 3 for the franchise.

The guttural tone shift alone was enough to prove this film could provide the Saw franchise a much-needed breath of fresh air

Like most movies, Saw X has its flaws, which are difficult to get into without spoiling the ending. What I will say is that while the movie’s quality was consistent throughout the first three quarters, unfortunately its conclusion let down a Saw movie that could have risen above not just some, but all its predecessors. As we spend a good portion of the movie following Kramer’s latest test subjects, we learn a lot about them and their actions, and knowing what we eventually do about Cecilia (Synnøve Macody Lund), her conclusion and how it was played out was a disappointment to say the least. The Saw franchise is famous for its plot twists, some great, some adequate, some bad and Saw X’s is unfortunately middling. However, the lack of an impactful twist is not enough to draw away from the vast array of positives the movie offers us.

Verdict:

Saw X’s ability to invoke both terror and tears paired with the unanticipated portrayal of fear and fragility is outstanding. The guttural tone shift alone was enough to prove this film could provide the Saw franchise a much-needed breath of fresh air after the disappointing state it was left in after Spiral. Whether you’re a veteran of the series, or just have passing interest, I would highly recommend Saw X to anyone with the stomach for it.