Director: Kevin Greutert 
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Renata Vaca, Michael Beach
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 118 mins

Saw X is the latest in the splatter horror series and a third attempt at a reinvigoration after Jigsaw and Spiral: From The Book of Saw. Ten films in and so far, none have been able to surpass James Wan’s 2004 original. That said, I certainly admired the effort Chris Rock made with Spiral even if it was obfuscated by Darren Lynn Bousman’s poor direction. 

Saw X takes the series back to its roots and is set between the original and Saw II. Despite being the architect of the series, Tobin Bell’s John Kramer is satisfyingly brought front and centre (it only took ten attempts!). Kramer travels to Mexico for an experimental procedure that he hopes will cure his brain cancer. Shortly after surgery, he discovers it all to have been a hoax and he sets on enacting his elaborate and twisted revenge on those responsible. 

The film is directed by Kevin Greutert, who edited the first five entries and Jigsaw. Greutert then went on to direct Saw VI, one of the better sequels which had an interesting commentary on the insurance industry and Saw: The Final Chapter (that title clearly didn’t work out), the worst in the series by quite some distance. Given his mixed track record, can he jump-start the series back to life? 

For the most part, yes. Saw X is quite possibly the best sequel, its success largely based on Bell’s expanded role, a surprising amount of heart and a truly nasty villain. The film satisfyingly takes its time to develop the situation Kramer finds himself in – the first 40 minutes is largely devoid of any traps or violence. This is all to Saw X’s benefit because once we get to the torture sequences, we can surprisingly empathise and understand why an individual that inflicts torture on others does so. Bell is expectedly terrific in the lead role and could play the role in his sleep. 

There’s also a decent amount of development for the con artists and when they meet their match in Kramer, we can also understand their position. This is definitely the turning point for Synnøve Macody Lund’s career. She plays Dr Cecilia Pederson, who leads the experimental cancer treatment group and is one truly vile, twisted individual. 

It wouldn’t be a Saw film without the sadistic traps and it’s a positive to see Greutert return to some of the more simpler traps given this is set between the original and Saw II. Still, the traps work well and are pretty wince-inducing. It is a shame that the traps peak early, with some of them not being as grisly in the final act. 

With the exception of Jigsaw, all the Saw films resort to frenetic editing for the traps, which was often very distracting. While Saw X’s editing isn’t as clinical as Jigsaw, Greutert shows a degree of restraint and encompasses a happy middle ground between the two extremes. 

Charlie Clouser returns to score the film and although he doesn’t do much to shake up the tried-and-tested formula, it works. Nick Matthews is on cinematography duties this time around and shoots the film with a more sepia tone. While Saw X looks fine, it’s not as visually arresting as Spiral.

Saw X is a surprisingly strong tenth instalment to a once-waning franchise. While it doesn’t reach the heights of Wan’s original as it lacks the sheer simplicity of its plot and novelty, it still stands head and shoulders above many of the sequels. The decision to centre the film around Jigsaw is an obvious winner and Greutert deftly develops the characters so that once all the chess pieces are in position, the stakes are well-earned. 

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)