‘Saw X’ Film Review: Best Film Of An Otherwise Messy Horror Franchise

Kevin Greutert‘s Saw X takes place between the first two films of the Saw franchise and focuses on its protagonist, John Kramer/The Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell).

Kramer goes to a clinic outside of Mexico City and undergoes a procedure that he hopes will cure him of his brain cancer.

After he completes the operation, Kramer finds out that it was a scam that had many other victims who were also conned into having this procedure done on them.

In response, Kramer kidnaps the five people who deceived him: Dr. Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund), the daughter of the doctor who conducted the procedure, Finn Pederson (Donagh Gordon), Gabriela (Renata Vaca), Diego (Joshua Okamoto), Mateo (Octavio Hinojosa) and Valentina (Paulette Hernández).

Much like the previous films, Kramer forces his captors to survive death traps.

Cecilia, early on, reassured Kramer that the procedure would work, saying that his time was not up yet. In a later scene, Cecilia puts bundles of dollar bills that she received from past patients in a duffle bag, showing that she cares more about using her patients’ money for her own selfish needs rather than her patients’ health.

On top of the heartbreaking tone, the filmmakers wrote Kramer in a way where audiences can almost sympathize with him despite the sadistic behavior he displays when torturing his victims.

The other Saw films portray Kramer as someone who often took revenge on those who took him or his loved ones for granted by putting them in death traps to see how much they valued life. But these films did not have well-paced scenes emphasizing that whenever Kramer interacts with his future victims, he can let his guard down and convey a more calming presence.

It is possible for any average viewer watching the film to relate to how Kramer feels. There may be audience members who, like Kramer, faced a situation so serious that they sought out help from anyone without considering their true intentions.

WATCH TOBIN BELL’s uBIO NOW!

Kramer’s relatability in this film did not justify his desire to take revenge on those who lied to him, but audiences can understand that his anger stemmed from disappointment and betrayal. Saw X is easily the best film in the franchise because it creates a sympathetic protagonist behind the horrors.