Disclaimer: This review discusses uncomforting topics such as torture and death
Fans of the “Saw” franchise have come to expect an anxiety-inducing experience from the movies. “Saw X” was no different. Sharpened anticipation and bone-chilling theories will be answered while witnessing the new gruesome games, unhinged traps, and the return of familiar faces. “Saw X” is poised to deliver an experience that should leave viewers at the edge of their seats, but what can we expect from this new film?
With a rating of 82% in Rotten Tomatoes, “Saw X” has not failed to impress. In fact, it left viewers dumbfounded. On account of the franchise being well-known for its creative and elaborate death traps and games, this movie surprised the audience with its riveting new ideas. Since the downfall of the ninth installment “SPIRAL: From The Book Of Saw,” the masterminds of this production dialed back to conceptualizing something new – a film that would be a rebound for the radical failure of the last couple flicks. What they created is revolutionary, more so than the American war.
“Saw X” is now the best Saw film since the original, bringing back the beloved Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith to play John and Amanda. Maybe you’re thinking, “Didn’t this happen already?” and “But John Kramer DIED!”, so you should know this feature takes place between the first two films. And an audience has never gone so crazy for the originals as this spectacle goes back to the origin: John Kramer and apprentice Amanda Young. This screenplay has the audience up close and personal in John’s life, delving into emotional areas like his cancer and what his life has come to in hospitals and participation in therapy groups. Although there were many string-pulling sights in a multitude of the past movies, “Saw X” has got to be the cherry on top of all the heartache. What has the audience on the edge of their seats is what the outcome of the traps will be – as all Saw fans know, this series’ cornerstone of success is due to its gruesome games and traps. Without a doubt, they were better than anyone expected; tons of blood, classical horror movie screams, and exceptional acting from the new actors exceeded all expectations.
Before the movie or trailer were released, the company presented teasers of the main events from the movie, which added onto the growing anticipation from audiences. In the trailer, we learn that John finds a source to eradicate his cancer, he meets the doctors who perform a procedure, and it turns out great. However, he then learns that the “doctors” were con artists who made profit off of false hope. With a new concept to explore in the movie, we see the outside life of the people who have scammed John for what he thought was a miracle.
The writers of the screenplay ask viewers to empathize with his moral dilemma. In my view, it’s a stretch to rationalize what amounts to torture of these people. John has a theory that his methods are similar to rehabilitation, and he believes that people are missing a piece of the human puzzle: survival instinct. Bell is able to pull off so much more in this film than any other due to the excessive amount of screentime he has (finally).
Smith too gets to shine, but let it be said that the third installment was her peak. With the rest of the characters, they worked together in “Saw X” to make it a spectacular viewing experience for the audience. Unlike the other installments like “JIGSAW” and “SPIRAL: From The Book Of Saw” that worked so hard to convey sympathy for the characters, it was just not looking good for them at all. Both of the movies were extremely cluttered with lessons for low life characters who were taught these lessons in an ineffective manner.
That’s why this new film makes up for all of the previous movies in the series. John dives right back into his roots, playing the ‘tag you’re it’ with his victims for the devilish choices they casted onto themselves. They definitely messed with the wrong guy, and now they know what it means to be alive, with a few broken bones.
