When Saw X was announced, there wasn’t much fanfare for the sequel/prequel. Sure, it was confirmed that for the first time, John Kramer (aka Jigsaw) would be the protagonist this time around; however, the brand isn’t the popular IP that it once was due to the lack of quality. Saw will always have a special place in the world of horror; when James Wan dropped the first film in 2004, it started a new subgenre as the classic film immediately took the mainstream by storm.
Saw, Saw II and Saw III are widely regarded as the best entries of the series. Notably, this is when John Kramer was still alive. While Tobin Bell appeared here and there in most of the following films, it wasn’t the same after they opted to kill off the most important piece of the puzzle. This is a huge reason why Saw X works so much. This time, the film takes place between Saw and Saw II, squarely focusing on John and his quest to cure his cancer. The synopsis of Saw X is as follows:
Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer uses deranged and ingenious traps to turn the tables on the con artists.
In a risky new direction, there are plenty of ways that this film could’ve gone South. But it doesn’t. Instead, Saw X turns out to be the best entry in the long-running franchise.
Focusing On Jigsaw Was A Smart Idea
Saw has always had a unique premise. While Kramer is indeed a MURDERER, the premise of a delusional man taking action in his own hands against criminals has unlimited possibilities. The issue was that it was never John Kramer’s story. He was the villain anchoring the protagonist’s motivation (to survive) throughout each film. Saw lost its way after Part III; granted, there are some fun entries after the third film, but the series became too convoluted for its own good.
The focus was never really on the protagonist of each film. It was more about the lore and traps. There was little to no character development in most films. Plus, Saw became infamous for needing to have a twist ending. Saw X fixes all of these huge problems. There’s no convoluted twist ending. John Kramer and Amanda (Shawnee Smith) are given an incredible amount of depth that nicely adds to the overall series. Hell, the villain of the film is given some nice dimension.
What’s impressive is that Saw X manages to keep my attention despite deviating from the traditional Saw formula. No opening trap that thrusts you back into the world. The first 40 minutes focus on John and it’s quite compelling. For the first time, he comes across as an actual human being and it’s great to see how John views the world. Saw X is NOT just about the traps. Of course, there’s plenty of guts and gore in this installment, but the story keeps you engaged from beginning to end because Jigsaw himself makes for a strong protagonist. I have mixed feelings on the ending, but I can say without a doubt that this is the best Saw film of the series.
Bringing Focus On Amanda Young and Tobin Bell’s Dynamic Was The Highlight Of The Story
Let’s get this out the way, the wig that Shawnee Smith wears in the film looks terrible and is often distracting. Still, Young and Bell overcome these hurdles because of their excellent chemistry. The story adds meat to Amanda’s plight as Jigsaw’s pupil and not once does it detract from what the series has done so far. Saw wisely doesn’t force Jigsaw in the anti-hero slot; though admittedly, there’s a subplot with a child that could have you rolling your eyes. However, even that serves a strong purpose.
John is still delusional about not considering what he does is murder. The drawback is that it never truly dives into that delusion, but at the very least, the victims of John Kramer’s traps are truly EVIL people. There’s one character who isn’t so black-and-white, and the film does a solid job of balancing the parallels between Gabriela (Renata Vaca) and Amanda. Everyone else is fairly on one note. Though the main antagonist – Cecilia Pederson – is a good one. It helps that Synnøve Macody Lund brings out the gravitas of her role, but Saw X goes out its way to make sure you hate Cecilia Pederson. It works, but you will be disappointed by the ending of her character’s fate.
The Saw Traps
For the first time since the first film, the Saw traps aren’t particularly the stars here. There isn’t a shotgun carousel. Or a reverse beartrap. The eye vacuum is the best trap in the film, though it doesn’t come close to any of the iconic traps in the series. Part of it is logic as some plot holes make you question the decisions these victims make. When we get to the main story of traps, the formula becomes the same for each of the victims. It doesn’t kill the experience as there are some sweet traps here, but nothing that overshadows the story.
All in all, Saw X is a welcome addition to the long-running series. With the focus on story and characters, it nicely adds dimension to the Saw lore without being convoluted or confusing. Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith are incredible in their roles as the central protagonists and you root for Jigsaw to win here. It’s a film with a surprising amount of depth and heart and a welcome deviation from the Saw norm.
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