Things have changed since the days when the Saw franchise ruled the box office over Halloween weekends. This is the age of elevated horror, oblique and subliminal exercises in cerebral fear. It doesn’t feel as if movies like Saw are welcome anymore. They’re old-school, throwbacks to a more graphic and cynical time, gross for the sake of being gross.
That’s not the case with the chronology-busting Saw X. In a franchise known for non-linear storytelling, Saw X is remarkably straightforward. Events in Saw X take place between the first two Saw films. It could easily have been named Saw 1.5. While the signature traps are wince-inducing, there’s more to Saw X than cracking bones and blood. Saw X is a lateral run to the corner store for the series, and it delivers in every way possible.
After receiving a terminal brain cancer diagnosis, John Kramer (Tobin Bell), the man known as Jigsaw, learns of a potential miracle cure. Dr. Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund) promises Kramer that, through a combination of surgery and medication, they can “switch off” his cancer cells and effectively cure him. Grasping with desperate hope, Kramer travels to Mexico for the procedure.
When Kramer learns that Pederson and her colleagues are con artists, Kramer doesn’t get mad. He gets testy. Calling on his protege, Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), Kramer goes into full-on Jigsaw mode and a new game begins.
With a running time just shy of two hours, Saw X is the longest entry in the franchise. There isn’t a wasted moment. Without a doubt, Saw X is Tobin Bell’s movie. He has been the centerpiece of the franchise, even when he only popped in for cameos. It’s Bell’s performance as not only Jigsaw the deadly engineer, but Kramer the human being, that centers this movie and makes it one of the best in the franchise.
As often happens with horror movies, I felt the need to discuss Saw X with Biff Bam Pop! senior writer, Sachin Hingoo. Happily, we found ourselves on the same page.
SH: I don’t mean this to denigrate the other installments but that was a *real movie*. Which is to say that unlike the majority of the other entries, I don’t feel like the plotting and characterization (especially of Tobin Bell’s John Kramer) isn’t taking a backseat. So much of the franchise, in my opinion, is meandering from kill to kill, but not so here. The kills are brutal – perhaps some of the most brutal that Saw has offered so far, which is saying a lot – but they feel better integrated in the overall story than I’m used to. The buildup to John’s treatment and the betrayal were so expertly done, so much so that I think if the trialers and previews didn’t let on that the cancer treatment wasn’t above board, I’d be just as roped in as John is. Just a real showcase for the Tobester.
JXM: The shaking hands. The red-rimmed eyes. The dashed hopes. It’s amazing.
SH: Tobin Bell is just the coolest and really steps up once again as the centrepiece, the bloody, still-beating heart, of the franchise. The first half of the movie and his journey through the diagnosis and the treatment is one of my favourite performances of the year, in horror and otherwise.
Not only are the Saw movies known for extreme violence, but for a certain visual style. Let’s call it a butt-rock aesthetic. Hand-held camera work. Machine-gun splicing. Extended periods of green or blue filtered film. Sped-up motion meant to symbolize panic. It’s not just a movie. It’s a feeling.
Director Kevin Greutert (Saw VI, Saw 3D) largely eschews that Powerman 5000 sensation to present what Sachin called a “real movie.” Despite the horrendous things happening on screen, Saw X is easy to watch. The chances of getting motion sickness from Saw X are low. That’s not to say you won’t feel ill, though. Saw X is as gory as it gets.
SH: There’s something about the violence in this one, like the shots linger on it longer so you really feel it instead of the usual frenetic editing Saw usually goes for. There’s a meditative element to it that works both to underscore the profound sadness of John Kramer and the viciousness of Jigsaw and his wonderful toys.
JXM: And not all the hand-held camera from the Bousman-directed entries. More sweeping shots from higher angles.
SH: I liked that. It showed a kind of confidence in the filmmaking that a lot of the others lack. Most of the other entries feel like they’re trying to prove their worth (in various ways) but this one felt assured in saying ‘We’re making am actual movie instead of a torture highlight reel’ but it’s still very much a Jigsaw joint.
And yet, we are still left with the character of Jigsaw, a character whose actions paint him as judge and jury, witness and provocateur. Saw X clearly positions Jigsaw as the hero of the piece. Perhaps, when up against a ruthless and amoral thief like Dr. Pederson, Jigsaw is the lesser of two evils. Drilling deeper, Jigsaw isn’t the good guy. In Saw X, the good guy is John Kramer.
JXM: And yet here we are in the strange position of rooting for [Jigsaw] against this horrible con artist when he’s no great shakes himself.
SH: He’s got a shaky sense of good/evil but goddamit he’s my scumbag.
Stylistically, there’s enough revamping of the franchise’s established tropes to recommend it to those who aren’t normally fans of Saw movies. Long time Sawheads will get everything they need from Saw X. It looks better, sounds better, and places the spotlight right where it belongs (on Bell). Heck, even the score is better, although we do get the familiar Saw theme.
SH: I think this is (composer Charlie) Clouser’s best score by far too. He gets so much more to do in the first half. We’re not just buttrocking around a guy strapped to a chair (though there’s some of that). There’s introspection, sadness, and in my opinion, the franchise’s first dabbles in hope and I daresay, beauty. And Clouser’s score underpins all of that.
JXM: Less Downward Spiral, more The Fragile.
Look: Saw X is completely unnecessary. There’s no reason for the series to travel back to the heady days of the early Aughts to examine a milestone in Jigsaw’s life. And yet, Saw X doesn’t feel like a manipulative nostalgic cash grab. There’s heart in Saw X, and a sense of passion for the project, for the franchise. Even if the movie doesn’t fundamentally alter any established storylines, it dramatically updates and freshens the series. In retrospect, Saw X may stand out like a sore thumb within the films for its clean look and lack of claustrophobia.
That doesn’t keep Saw X from being tense, frightening, and surprising. Standout performances, particularly from Bell and Lund, kick this movie to another level. It’s not just a great Saw movie. It’s a fantastic film. With only three months left in 2023, Saw X could very well wind up being one of my favorite movies of the year.
Saw X is currently in theatres.
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