With Saw X now in theaters, we checked it out to see if there was any life remaining in the franchise.
The tenth Saw film arrived in theaters this week and featured the return of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw to the series. Unbelievably, the Saw franchise has been going for almost twenty years, and some were understandably skeptical that anything new could be done with the twisted story of the Jigsaw Killer.
Then the trailer came out, and fans everywhere perked up at what they saw. Saw X looked more than decent, it looked like the type of Saw film we hadn’t seen since the time of the original Saw trilogy. But could the film possibly meet the high expectations set by the trailer? The answer is, unequivocally, yes!
Saw X is the kind of sequel fans have craved since the original Saw came out back in 2004. This is not only a return to form for the series, it also proves that there are still many stories that could be told in this gruesome world. In this tenth installment, set between Saw and Saw II, John Kramer is coming to terms with his terminal brain cancer when he learns about an experimental treatment that has cured many others of similar ailments. When it turns out to be an elaborate scam, Kramer takes revenge as only Jigsaw can, with a series of games.
The best part of Saw X by far is the performance of Tobin Bell. I’ve always been a fan of his work as John Kramer/Jigsaw, but it’s taken to a completely different level in this story. This is a look at Jigsaw in his prime (so to speak), and we learn more than ever how his twisted methodology works when it comes to setting up his games and why he does it. Bringing back Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young was also a stroke of brilliance, as her interactions with Jigsaw shed even more light on their master/apprentice relationship. It’s also interesting to see how Amanda interacts with the players themselves, it adds a layer to Amanda’s personality that definitely colors her actions in Saw II and Saw III.
The story of Saw X is also very well done. Unlike earlier films that throw in a trap at the very beginning, Saw X takes a while to get going. But make no mistake, this film delivers everything you expect to see in a Saw film and then some. Each trap is vicious and stomach-churning. It’s more than a little frightening that the writers behind these movies can still devise new traps almost twenty years after the first film.
Another detail that left people no doubt excited is the tease that there are more Saw stories to be told. While Saw X ties up most of the loose ends, it notably leaves a fairly major one hanging right before the credits roll. It’s hard to say where this character could be squeezed in to the increasingly convoluted Saw timeline, but I would love to see them try. Watching this character go toe to toe with Jigsaw again would be a sight to behold.
All of this is to say that Saw X is the best movie to come from the franchise in years. Played right, this could be the start of a brand new era for Saw and I’m excited to see what comes of it.
