It has been two years since the release of the last Saw movie, aka Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), but today the popular horror franchise returns to cinemas with the release of Saw X. The film – directed by Kevin Greutert – stars Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith and is the tenth Saw picture overall.
However, while Saw X is film number ten, the movie is designed as a sort-of sequel and sort-of prequel to two of the earlier movies. The events of Saw X take place after 2004’s Saw, but before 2005’s Saw II.
So, if you’re worried you don’t have time to catch up on all of the existing lore before heading off to the cinema to watch Saw X, worry no more. Simply familiarise yourself with the original film and you’re (more or less) all set to go.
As for this new movie, Tobin Bell is back in the role of John Kramer, who this time around travels to Mexico looking for a way to cure his cancer. John has been made aware of an experimental procedure which is strictly off the books, but if it works it could prove life-saving.
However, things don’t work out as John had hoped and before long he’s back to his old ways, punishing people via the use of elaborate death traps. But will John deal out all the punishment he has planned or will something come along to scupper his work?
OK, so the above is the basics of what you need to know about the plot and the timeframe of Saw X without giving away any major spoilers; but I imagine that what you really want to know is whether this latest Saw film is worth your time? Let’s be honest, we’ve all been burned by the Saw franchise before, and have probably devoted far too much time to some of the dross that has been dished up in the name of entertainment.
Outside of the first couple of entries, the majority of the Saw films range from ‘merely watchable’ to ‘frustratingly tedious’. There’s also a point in the franchise, somewhere between parts 3 and 8, where the film mythology all becomes a bit confusing.
Well, the good news is, Saw X is neither ‘merely watchable’, ‘frustratingly tedious’, or ‘confusing’. In fact, the film is for the most part engrossing and very simple to follow.
Saw X is also the best entry in the franchise since Saw II, possibly even since Saw. It’s not perfect, but it is mostly solid stuff, and at times it’s surprisingly good.
I’ll point out the flaws to begin with, because I feel they are mostly few and far between and are essentially twofold: Saw X is a little too long; and it does sag a touch in the middle. The runtime would have been better at maybe 100 minutes, rather than 120, and the sagging in the middle is caused by a couple of death traps, which feel like the series is treading old ground and become a bit tiresome.
But outside of these problems, the rest of Saw X is fine. The movie benefits from a very strong opening act, as well as a damn good finale, and this means it is topped and tailed by great material.
And this great material not only allows the film to feel elevated from some of the lacklustre sequels that came before, but it also gives actor Tobin Bell the opportunity to deliver his best performance in a Saw movie. I’m surprising myself by typing these words, but Saw X gives him ample room to showcase his skills, with a version of John Kramer who the audience can really connect with.
I’m very keen not to give out any spoilers here, so I’m treading very lightly, but what I can say is, when John is searching for a cure for his cancer during the first act of the movie, it is the first time that he ever truly feels human in a Saw film. There are scenes in this picture where John’s vulnerability and humanity are exposed, and it’s so refreshing to see.
The script for Saw X, by Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg, is filled with great character development for John Kramer, and it’s fantastic that Tobin Bell has been brought back to work with this kind of material. Saw X really fleshes out his character, and creates a villain who has more facets than we have previously seen.
Again, no spoilers here, but Saw X repositions John Kramer to be more than just a one-note villain. It serves up some nice little surprises, which gives his journey somewhere to go, and Tobin Bell’s performance is the best thing in the film.
Outside of Bell, it’s fair to say everyone else in the cast pull their weight too, and the whole thing just comes together quite nicely. Sure, it still feels like a Saw film, and that means it falls back into some old tropes, but I look at this as merely giving fans what they want and regardless of some familiar parts it ticks the right boxes.
Going into Saw X I have to say I was less-than enthused about seeing another entry in this series. The franchise felt like it had run out of steam back during the days of Saw IV (2007), and previous attempts to rehabilitate it with more recent offerings such as Jigsaw (2017) and Spiral all felt like everyone involved was clutching at straws.
But Saw X is one of those movies which gives the franchise either a lifeline, or at the very least an opportunity to shine. I’m not sure this film will be the beginning of a new era of excellent Saw movies, but if nothing else, there is now a new Saw movie in cinemas that’s actually worth watching, and this is at least something to champion.
Yes, at times it does dip back into the over-the-top gore nonsense that dogged the series for too long, but this movie is more than just extreme violence and death scenes. There’s finally some substance here and it’s more than welcome.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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