'Saw X' Spoiler-Free Review
Image Source: TV Insider
It’s been two years since the largely underwhelming Spiral: From the Book of Saw was released in theaters, but even then, we all knew that there would be a tenth film in the long-running, previously annual film series. When announcements that the tenth film in the series would be coming out and starring Tobin Bell once again, people were a little more hopeful that it would be an improvement on the previous film, which noticeably missed his character.
And what an improvement it was.
Set between the first and second films, it follows John Kramer, AKA Jigsaw traveling down to Mexico to partake in experimental drug trials in a desperate attempt to cure his cancer. When he’s surprised by what he finds, the games begin.
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Image Source: Bloody Disgusting
Out of all nine films, this is easily Tobin Bell’s best performance as Jigsaw. It’s the first one that focuses on him directly, with no cop subplot to follow along with as well. As such, his performance is allowed to shine on its own merits, and it does shine. He’s noticeably older and more frail in this film compared to the other Saw films, which makes sense, given that Bell first began playing Jigsaw at 62 and now he’s 81, but in this case, it actually works. His age and acting talent help portray John Kramer as the dying cancer patient that he is. However, the sheer power of his voice still keeps that famous Jigsaw gravitas that we’ve all come to know and love.
The interesting thing about this film is that for the first third or so, it doesn’t feel like a Saw film at all. If one didn’t know any better, they’d believe that it was a lifetime original film about a man bravely fighting cancer. It’s brightly lit, everybody is friendly and polite, and there isn’t a single bit of surface-level darkness to any of it. It’s a clear departure from the previous films that all have a dark, green, and brown-tinted ambiance and look to them. It gets there, of course, this is a Saw film after all, but for the first third, it doesn’t feel like it at all. It’s refreshing. Fear not, though, once things get going, they really get going.
Image Source: IGN
This brings us to the main reason that people go to see these films: the traps. How do they stack up compared to some of the classic traps of old? While they don’t compare to the likes of the reverse bear trap or the Venus fly trap… trap, they’re mostly pretty solid, and provide the bloody, squeamish time that people have come to expect. Some of them are weaker and more ridiculous than others, but there isn’t a real, true dud on the list.
That’s not to say that the film is perfect. There are still several things that rely on happenstance and other things that Jigsaw couldn’t possibly plan for. That’s not including the repeated suspension of disbelief required to accept that the 100-pound sickly cancer patient is managing to set this up. That isn’t too big of a deal, since that’s been required of pretty much every film in the series so far. The flaws in the film are flaws found in every other film, and they’re part of the series.
Overall, this film is honestly the best in the series. Tobin Bell is at his best, the story is pretty solid, and it even has some emotional beats that, no joke, improve moments and characters from previous films. If you’re looking for a great Saw film with great kills, a good story, and, surprisingly, heart, this is the one to pop in.
Rating: 8/10
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