Saw X (2023) Review

 "Live or die.  The choice is yours."
-John Kramer



Saw X takes place between the original Saw and Saw II.  John Kramer (Tobin Bell) travels to Mexico to take part in an experimental treatment to cure his cancer.  It's apparently an success, but John learns that the whole thing was a scam and he is still dying.  With help from his apprentice, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), John kidnaps everyone responsible for scamming him and forces them to take part in a brutal and bloody game.

Spoiler Alert!


What Works:

Saw X is the first film in the series to make Jigsaw the protagonist.  John Kramer hasn't appeared in as much of the series as you'd think.  He really only has large roles in 2 and 3 and he's very clearly the antagonist in those movies.  This time around, he's still the Jigsaw Killer, but we see events from his perspective.  He has every right to be angry at these people.  It's a interesting change of perspective and gives some depth to the character without losing what makes him Jigsaw.  

For this story to work, we have to have an antagonist that's worse than Jigsaw, and we get that in Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund), who may be the most despicable and vile character of the series, which is saying something.

Saw is known for it's obscene amount of gore and torture and we absolutely get that here.  I'm a total gore-hound when it comes to horror movies and some of this was even tough for me to watch.  The Gigli saw trap and the brain drill trap are both horrific and gnarly to sit through with some incredible practical effects.

Finally, Saw X continues to take the style of this series in the same direction that Jigsaw and Spiral did.  It's more realistic rather than the industrial nightmare that is the first seven moves.  While I love the style of the original run, I do appreciate that the series feels like it takes place in the real world now.  It's nice to have scenes set outdoors.


What Sucks:

My biggest problem with this movie is that the villain's fate isn't as satisfying as it could have been.  We don't get to see her die.  Her henchmen all received these gruesome and horrible deaths, but we don't get that for her.  Are they saving her for a sequel?  Maybe Saw XI could fix this problem, but as the series stands, it's an anticlimactic way for the movie to end.

Finally, the Saw series is known for having big twists at the end of the movie.  Some of them are absolutely legendary.  Some of them are total duds.  This one is somewhere in the middle.  It's not bad, but it's obvious.  Knowing what we know about Jigsaw, I was never concerned that he didn't have the upper hand.  I figured that everything, with the exception of the arrival of Carlos (Jorge Briseño), was all according to his plan.  I was right and that lessens the impact of the twist.


Verdict:

Saw X is a very solid entry in the series and a welcome addition.  I don't have it as the best in the series, that honor goes to Saw II, but I'd put in alongside my other favorites: Saw, Saw VI, and Spiral.  The ending is anticlimactic, but the rest of the movie is a horrific nightmare, in a good way.  Here's hoping the we get a sequel!

 8/10: Really Good 

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