After years of diminishing returns and increasingly convoluted plots, the Saw franchise found new life with 2023’s Saw X. Rather than continuing to push the timeline forward, this tenth installment takes a step back, slotting itself between the original Saw and Saw II to explore a crucial chapter in John Kramer’s evolution as the Jigsaw killer. What results is not just a return to form, but perhaps the most compelling entry since James Wan’s original film changed the horror landscape nearly two decades ago.
A Story Worth Telling
Director Kevin Greutert, who previously helmed Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter, delivers what might be the most focused and emotionally resonant entry in the franchise’s long history. By centering on Tobin Bell’s John Kramer at his most vulnerable – desperately seeking treatment for his terminal cancer in Mexico – Saw X grounds its horror in genuine human desperation.
The premise is deceptively simple: after being scammed by medical fraudsters offering a miracle cancer cure, Kramer subjects them to a series of his trademark “games” designed to reflect their exploitation of desperate patients. This straightforward revenge plot provides a refreshing clarity of purpose that had been missing from the franchise’s later installments, which often sacrificed coherence for increasingly elaborate twists.
What makes Saw X truly special is how it recontextualizes Kramer’s mission. While we’ve always understood his motivations intellectually, this film makes us feel his pain and betrayal in visceral ways. The first act spends considerable time showing Kramer’s hope rekindled as he undergoes an experimental procedure, only to discover he’s been swindled out of his money and given false hope. It’s this emotional hook that elevates Saw X above simple torture porn and into something more profound – a meditation on mortality and the desperate measures we might take when faced with our own end.
The Master Returns
Tobin Bell delivers his most substantial performance as Jigsaw, finally given room to explore the man behind the monster. His portrayal of Kramer’s brief hope for survival followed by devastating betrayal creates a surprising wellspring of sympathy, even as we watch him meticulously craft horrific torture devices. Bell’s gravelly voice has always been the franchise’s secret weapon, but here he’s allowed to display a remarkable range – from quiet vulnerability in the medical scenes to controlled rage as he confronts those who wronged him.
Shawnee Smith also returns as Amanda Young, providing continuity with the earlier films while exploring their complex mentor-apprentice relationship. Their scenes together offer some of the film’s most compelling moments, showing the twisted father-daughter dynamic that drives both characters. The film adds new layers to Amanda’s devotion to Kramer, making their relationship feel more textured and tragic than before.
Newcomer Synnøve Macody Lund delivers a standout performance as Dr. Cecilia Pederson, the charismatic but fraudulent doctor who becomes Jigsaw’s primary target. She creates a villain who is both detestable and understandable – someone who started with good intentions but allowed greed to corrupt her practice. Her transformation from confident manipulator to desperate victim provides Saw X with emotional stakes that transcend typical slasher fare.
Traps with Purpose
While Saw X delivers the elaborate death traps fans expect, they feel more purposeful than gratuitous. Each device corresponds specifically to the victim’s crimes, with Greutert finding a better balance between the franchise’s philosophical underpinnings and its gore-driven spectacle. The film’s pacing is methodical, allowing tension to build naturally rather than rushing from one kill to the next.
The standout sequence involves an eye-vacuum contraption that ranks among the series’ most wince-inducing moments, yet it’s the emotional weight behind these scenes – not just the splatter effects – that makes them effective. Another memorable trap forces a character to sacrifice their hearing to save their life, a punishment specifically designed for someone who refused to listen to patients’ suffering.
The production design deserves special mention, with the Mexican setting providing a fresh visual palette for the franchise. The abandoned clinic where much of the action takes place feels simultaneously claustrophobic and expansive, with cinematographer Nick Matthews finding new ways to capture the industrial horror aesthetic that defines the series. The contrast between the sun-drenched exteriors and the grimy interiors creates a disorienting effect that mirrors Kramer’s journey from hope to disillusionment.
Philosophical Underpinnings
What has always set the better Saw films apart from their torture-focused imitators is the philosophical framework underlying the carnage. Saw X leans heavily into the moral questions that have defined the series: Does suffering lead to appreciation? Can people truly change when faced with death? Is Jigsaw a monster or a misunderstood vigilante?
The film doesn’t offer easy answers, instead allowing viewers to grapple with these questions as they watch the complex chess game unfold between Kramer and his victims. Particularly interesting is how the film explores the ethics of medical exploitation – a theme that feels especially relevant in our current healthcare landscape where desperate patients are often vulnerable to false promises and financial predation.
Saw X also examines the psychological toll that Kramer’s mission takes on him, suggesting that his transformation into Jigsaw isn’t as clean-cut as previous films implied. We see moments of doubt, regret, and even horror at his own actions, making his character more complex than the single-minded moralist sometimes portrayed in the series.
Technical Execution
Technically, Saw X represents a high point for the franchise. The practical effects work is exceptional, with the trap sequences choreographed for maximum impact without feeling exploitative. The sound design deserves particular praise – the mechanical whirring of the traps, the visceral impact of their consequences, and the unsettling quiet of the film’s more contemplative moments create a symphony of tension.
Charlie Clouser’s score remains an essential part of the Saw experience, with his iconic themes woven throughout new compositions that heighten the emotional impact of key scenes. The editing by Elliot Greenberg honors the franchise’s hyperkinetic style during trap sequences while allowing for more measured pacing during character moments – a balance that serves the film well.
Connections to the Larger Mythology
For longtime fans, Saw X offers satisfying connections to the broader mythology without getting bogged down in its convoluted timeline. Easter eggs and references to other entries are present but understated, rewarding attentive viewers without alienating newcomers. The film particularly enriches the relationship between Kramer and Amanda, filling in gaps that add new dimensions to their interactions in Saw II and Saw III.
The film also introduces elements that cleverly foreshadow later developments in the series, creating a sense of tragic inevitability as we watch Kramer’s philosophy evolve. A mid-credits scene ties directly into the original Saw, creating a seamless bridge between the films that will have fans immediately wanting to revisit the earlier entries.
Cultural Relevance
Released at a time when horror franchises are increasingly turning to legacy sequels and reboots, Saw X demonstrates how to honor a series’ past while moving it forward. By focusing on character development over mere shock value, the film reclaims the psychological horror elements that made the original Saw such a phenomenon.
The film also taps into contemporary anxieties about healthcare, bodily autonomy, and exploitation. Its Mexican setting allows for commentary on medical tourism and the desperation that drives patients to seek unregulated treatments, though it’s careful not to fall into simplistic stereotypes about international healthcare.
Final Verdict
Saw X succeeds by returning to what made the original Saw compelling: a focus on character motivation over mere shock value, forcing viewers to grapple with uncomfortable questions about justice, punishment, and mortality. While it doesn’t reinvent the franchise formula, it refines it to near perfection, creating a horror experience that’s as emotionally engaging as it is viscerally disturbing.
For longtime fans, the film offers a deeply satisfying exploration of Jigsaw’s character during a crucial period in his development. For newcomers, it works surprisingly well as a standalone thriller that showcases why this series became a horror phenomenon in the first place.
After nearly two decades, Saw X proves there’s still plenty of life – and death – left in the franchise when it focuses on what matters: the complex morality of a man who believes suffering is the only path to appreciation for life. It’s a bloody, brutal, and unexpectedly moving entry that ranks among the very best the series has to offer.
Rating : 4/5
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Behind the Scenes
The production of Saw X faced significant challenges, filming during the latter stages of the COVID-19 pandemic with strict health protocols in place. The Mexican locations provided both authentic atmosphere and practical filming advantages, with local crews bringing fresh perspectives to the franchise’s established aesthetic.
Director Kevin Greutert’s return to the franchise after a long absence seems to have reinvigorated the creative team. As both director and editor of earlier installments, Greutert has a deep understanding of what makes the Saw formula work, and his experience shows in the confident pacing and tonal control throughout.
For Tobin Bell, now in his seventies, Saw X represents perhaps his most physically demanding performance as John Kramer. The actor has spoken in interviews about the emotional toll of portraying Kramer at his most vulnerable, and this authenticity shines through in every scene.
The Future of the Franchise
With Saw X proving that the franchise still has stories worth telling, speculation naturally turns to what might come next. While the timeline between the original Saw and Saw II has now been partially filled in, there remain other gaps in the chronology that could be explored.
Given the financial success and critical reception of Saw X, Lionsgate has reportedly greenlit another installment, though details remain scarce. Whether the next film will continue to explore Kramer’s early days as Jigsaw or return to the present-day timeline remains to be seen.
Regardless of where the franchise goes next, Saw X has set a new standard for what a Saw film can be: a character-driven horror thriller that balances its gory spectacle with genuine emotional resonance. For a series that many had written off as past its prime, that’s perhaps the most surprising twist of all.
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