In 2004, a low-budget psychological thriller focused on two men slowly unraveling in a puzzle game of life and death was released without many expectations. After it became an overnight success, it went on to launch both director James Wan and the “Saw” franchise into the mainstream. Over the next 19 years, the “Saw” series has continued to double down on Jigsaw’s bloody traps and an overly convoluted timeline — for better but mostly for worse.
Right off the heels of disappointing spin-offs “Jigsaw” (2017) and “Spiral” (2021), there was little hope that a 10th film in this long-running horror franchise would be able to recapture what Wan’s original film achieved. However, with a back-to-basics approach and a storyline that places John Kramer (Tobin Bell) front and center, “Saw X” manages to be one of the very best films in the entire franchise. Who would have thought?
Taking place between “Saw” and “Saw II,” the plot of “Saw X” follows Kramer as he undergoes a secret, off-the-grid treatment in Mexico to cure his cancer. Upon discovering that the site is actually a money-laundering scheme run by the sadistic Dr. Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund), Kramer enacts revenge on the people who claimed to treat him. Past series favorite Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), one of Kramer’s accomplices, helps Kramer bring his deadly traps and scheme to life.
Aside from a terrifying sequence that shows Kramer conceiving of a trap that sucks the victim’s eyes out, the exposition-heavy first 20 minutes are a bit of a chore to sit through. Once Kramer’s plan is set in motion, though, “Saw X” takes off and is entertaining all the way through.
The majority of the film takes place in a warehouse where Kramer has Pederson, along with her accomplices Gabriela (Renata Vaca) and Valentina (Paulette Hernandez), chained to different parts of the room, awaiting their fate with the numerous traps they must outlast in order to live another day. This isolated location allows the various characters’ interactions and the desperate lengths that Jigsaw’s victims take for survival to drive the central conflict of the story. Pederson is easily the most interesting new character in the “Saw” franchise as she does whatever it takes to outlast her trap, brought to life by Lund’s scenery-chewing performance.
Jigsaw’s meticulously crafted traps are just as nail-biting to watch — if not more disturbing than ever before — but director Kevin Greutert expands the franchise’s potential in multiple directions. Many have reduced the “Saw” franchise to the label of torture porn, which some of the sequels definitely warrant, but that is not the case here. “Saw X” effectively explores the philosophy of what it means to appreciate life in a way that few of the other films have managed to.
Stylistically, “Saw X” is much more in line with the early “Saw” films, with a gritty and granular look placing it right in line with the early 2000s era of low-budget horror. Bell’s return to one of horror’s most psychotic villains is riveting to see, especially in getting to watch more of his behind-the-scenes planning with Amanda.
While there are plenty of iconic moments where Bell dons his Jigsaw persona and voice that fans have come to expect, “Saw X” succeeds most in exploring Kramer’s motivation behind what he modestly describes as his “hobbies.” Some of the film’s attempts to bring in more emotional story beats end up feeling a bit laughable, especially in juxtaposition to such gruesome violence, but Greutert’s deeper insights into Kramer’s philosophy works nonetheless.
In our current age of franchise burnout, sequel fatigue and lack of original ideas from many of Hollywood’s biggest studios, “Saw X” shows how with the right filmmakers that understand the source material they’re working with, even the most tired franchise can be revived. It’s inevitable that the Twisted Pictures will want to keep this franchise going, but this tenth installment in the franchise feels like a fitting end.
