A sick and desperate John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Kevin Greutert comes in to direct this tenth installment in the SAW franchise with Tobin Bell returning to his iconic role of Jigsaw. Greutert directed SAW VI, SAW 3D, and was an editor on most of the films in the series. It’s important to note that SAW X takes place in between the first and second film, so no, it doesn’t magically retcon Kramer’s eventual death at the end of SAW III. The SAW franchise has gone through a whirlwind of ups and downs over the years, with each individual entry being hit or miss, but the two things that have remained constant are the saga’s mythology and of course, Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw. The biggest challenge this franchise has faced post SAW III is trying to keep each subsequent entry interesting even with a dead John Kramer. I believe the producers themselves have been openly vocal about their regrets in killing off John so early in the series.
Well, to my surprise, I’m here to say that SAW X ranks among my favorite installments in the saga, right up there with the first two. What makes SAW X so distinctive from any other SAW entry is that it’s actually told primarily from John Kramer’s perspective as he seeks to find a miraculous cure for his cancer. Unlike some of the more recent sequels, we see John at his most vulnerable and dare I say, most human. Sure, one could argue that Kramer’s philosophy/motives were explored mainly in SAW II and in some of the flashbacks in later entries, but not nearly to the extent that it is in SAW X. By putting the undisputed face of the SAW franchise in Tobin Bell’s John Kramer front and center, we finally get a movie that is both more character driven and more personal than any of the previous installments. Without a doubt, this is Bell’s best performance as John Kramer yet and he actually shows a lot more emotion this time around to match his typically soft spoken menace. In the first act, Kramer is put in a terribly unfortunate situation regarding a false medical treatment that sets him on a path to teach the con artists responsible a thing or two about, you know, the meaning of life.
What really sets the victims in SAW X apart from other SAW victims is that the individuals who are put in these deadly traps are all complicit in a diabolical scheme that has genuinely ruined the lives and families of those who have fallen prey to it. Just about every victim being held hostage, arguably say for one, has actively contributed to this devastating con job operation and deserves to be in the dire position to which they find themselves in. That’s what makes SAW X so unique, because I oftentimes found myself siding with John, even if his methods are rather extreme, to say the least. Franchise OG and Jigsaw’s first apprentice Amanda Young played by Shawnee Smith finally returns and I was quite impressed by how substantial her role was in this film. The dynamic between John and Amanda really gets fleshed out here, as the two often discuss the future of Jigsaw’s work and there are even a few heartfelt moments that brought their relationship full circle. I will not go into detail, but there’s a scene in the third act that gave the character of Amanda a whole new dimension and actually somehow humanized her in a way.
In many ways, the traps in SAW X aren’t as gratuitous as some of the nastier contraptions in the other sequels, but they are definitely fairly bloody and serve the purpose of teaching its victims the lessons they ought to learn. Sure, the heavily advertised eyeball suction sequence was impressive, but there is one trap in particular involving a victim who must cut out a vital organ in order to survive and that even made my desensitized self squirm a little. The final twists and explanations as to how everything panned out can be seen coming if you’re a longtime fan of the franchise, but it’s shockingly more coherent and decidedly less convoluted than most of the third act revelations from a majority of the franchise’s sequels. SAW X more so than any of the other entries, will make the viewer ponder whether or not they think John is the sympathetic hero and that moral grey area gives not just this movie an extra layer of depth, but provides the overall series with much needed context.
Charlie Clouser has scored every single entry in the SAW franchise from the very beginning and his soundtrack here is as good as ever. Hearing his iconic “Hello Zepp” theme song kick in during the climactic sequence never fails to get me hyped up. I’d say the only issue I have with this film besides the usual predictable elements is that perhaps the nearly 2 hour runtime could have been trimmed a smidge. Ever since the SAW franchise began, there has been much debate over if the series is merely mindless torture porn or a deeper philosophical case study. Whereas the later sequels ventured into mindless torture porn territory, SAW X makes a strong case as an individual film and key component in the overall franchise that there is indeed a method to the madness. There is one mid credit scene and it’s extremely rewarding fan service for hardcore SAW aficionados. Overall, by going for a far more character driven approach, SAW X breathes new life into the long running horror franchise, showcasing Tobin Bell’s best performance as John Kramer and providing a surprising amount of heart amidst the grisly death traps.
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