From Jeff Nelson

The last time we heard Charlie Clouser’s iconic score was in 2021’s Spiral: From the Book of Saw, where Jigsaw’s twisted lessons influenced a copycat to unleash his own definition of justice. Saw VI director Kevin Greutert returns for Saw X to give a closer look into the wicked psyche of John Kramer that set him further down his path of supposed healing.

Set between the events of the original Saw and Saw II, Kramer (Tobin Bell) realizes that his cancer diagnosis isn’t getting any better. He refuses to accept his fate, traveling to Mexico to take part in a risky and experimental medical treatment with a chance to survive. However, Kramer turns to his grisly method of rebirth when he discovers that the entire operation is a scam intended to rob him.

The film starts off with Kramer in a cancer support group, where he finds a safe space of sorts away from the doctors who try to rationalize his disease in a way that only further angers him. Saw X doesn’t branch into the level of social commentary that Greutert’s Saw VI does, but it does dig deeper into his motivations, fears, and his own fight for survival of pain and suffering.

In Saw IV, Kramer wants Officer Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent) to “see as I see” and “feel how I feel,” but he’s very much passing that onto us. His rage is felt throughout, but he manages to keep his frightening Jigsaw composure that we already know. Some of his reasoning to put test subjects in traps has been shaky, but his anger feels more justified this time around. Despite his claims that these traps aren’t retribution, that’s hardly believable. Even if not to kill them, it’s to see them suffer and potentially end up on the other side to claim that he “healed” them.

Saw X goes against the grain of the typical franchise installment in a number of ways. Its setting explores further outside of a grungy warehouse, although we do spend plenty of time in one. Jigsaw’s connection to these test subjects is far more personal, resulting in a more darkly intimate proximity to the potential victims. He doesn’t rely on Billy the Puppet in quite the same ways, providing Bell with more opportunities to mold this character in new ways.

The Saw franchise is famous for its third-act twists, some of which are genuinely surprising. However, Saw X is far more telegraphed with where it’s going. Audiences who are paying attention and comprehend how Jigsaw’s mind works will catch on. At nearly two hours, it’s the longest franchise entry thus far, and there are certainly some pacing lulls. 

There’s no denying that horror crowds are coming to the theater for the gruesomely creative traps, which Saw X has plenty of. The act of Lawrence Gordon sawing off his own foot in the original pales in comparison to the levels of brutality unleashed here, one of which perhaps topping the franchise with the most stomach-churning trap yet. The practical effects are gnarly and realistic, while the sound design amps up the gross-out factor. It certainly isn’t for the squeamish.

Saw X is a nauseating crowd-pleaser that goes grislier than its predecessors. It’s certainly an improvement over the franchise’s weaker installments, but it doesn’t capture the tension of the earliest chapters. The shock value will have audiences talking while leaving the theater, rather than its thrills and narrative surprises.

Rating: 3.5/5

Saw X hits theaters on September 29th, 2023.

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