Saw X (2023) - A Welcome Return to Form

The Saw franchise tried something new in both Jigsaw and Spiral, both of which had mixed results. Saw X though, firmly returns to the routes of the franchise. (Mostly.)

Saw X is actually set between Saw I and Saw II, just to make the timeline even more convoluted. That's alright though, if it means the return of Tobin Bell as John Kramer. This installment sees Kramer set his hopes on a new, underground cancer treatment, which he discovers is a scam. Of course, the Jigsaw killer takes his ghastly revenge on said scammers.

Like the first Saw, Saw X takes its time to build its characters and story. The first third of the runtime is devoted to John; his hope at the treatment; and his bitter disappointment when it turns out to be a lie. Bell is quiet, contemplative, and paints the most empathetic version of Jigsaw we've seen yet. We feel his pain at the betrayal - so much so, we might just be a little bit on his side for this one.

The Jigsaw killer is a complicated one. He's hypocritical and contradictory - and the filmmakers have always wanted him to be that way. This time around, we're cracking open those contradictions and there's no right answer. It could be the kind of elevated horror that's on trend - but with a lot more gore, and no ones the hero.

(Though - spoilers - Cecilia bringing a kid into a trap feels a lot more evil than Jigsaw...)

Alongside Bell, Shawnee Smith returns once more as Amanda Young, who was certainly done dirty by Saw III, and whose return is hugely welcome. Amanda's depth is explored too, in the quiet moments between the traps. The relationship between Kramer and Amanda is complex, and here we're given the time to see what the two mean to each other. There are more than a few surprisingly emotional moments that longtime fans will appreciate.

It feels like a return to form for the franchise; reminiscent of the slow build of the relationship between Adam and Lawrence in the first movie. This return to form is reflected in the return of the choppy shots, gritty feel of the sets and colour tints seen throughout the movie. It feels like a Saw movie again - the ode to the original movies is loud and clear.

Then, of course, there are the traps themselves. These are certainly a lot more intense than the few we see in the very first Saw; closer to the insanity of the later films. Instead of limb-chopping being the last resort, it's treated fairly casually, and things only get more intense from there - including the victims performing some pretty ghastly acts of their own accord.

What's clever about Saw X is that we get a trap survivor early on. Considering the last few films have made everyone dither just long enough for the traps to spring into action, this makes a welcome change. It sends the message that not everyone's going to die, this time, which keeps you on the edge of your seat to see who's going to be lucky...and who's going to be dead.

(And yes, it's a return to form in that there's no way Jigsaw and Amanda would have rigged all those traps themselves, or in that amount of time, but that's par for the course at this point.)

There is, of course, a few twists. We're certainly not meant to believe that Kramer is bested - in fact, it's with anticipation that we watch his greater plan play out. After all, the last Game Over, is always reserved for the Jigsaw killer. It's an impressive feat to make a character, played by Synnøve Macody Land, who somehow feels more evil than Jigsaw, but they've pulled it off.

In conclusion, Saw X is made for the fans, with a familiar feel and the melodrama between the traps we've all come to love. So much so, that you'll likely smile when you see the reappearance of Billy the puppet. (He has another fantastic entrance.)

It would certainly be epic bad luck to miss out on this one.