Courage is the catalyst of time, and when courage rallies against injustice, history is made. If courage is pushing through whilst fearful, instead of the absence of fear itself, Jigsaw is the punctuation in that well-known quote.
Saw X is the latest instalment into John Kramer’s life, and when he left us in 2006 I, as a Saw fan, felt that his absence would leave massive holes in the timelines, motivations and logic of the franchise. In my opinion, it did, and it was very hard for the franchise to recover, which is why I haven’t been excited about a Saw film since the third one. Killing your villain is fine, and a welcome conclusion to a blood-filled prophetic ride, and continuing to make films after is a feat in itself, but Saw X goes back to the source – bringing all the beautifully masterful, character-driven grounding of Saw and Saw II.
What grips you isn’t the creative traps that leave you squirming in your seat or cracking your knuckles (you know the ones I mean), it’s sheer vulnerability. Not to be biased but Tobin Bell shows why he is one of the finest actors alive in Saw X, and his expressions and delivery are calculated yet authentic. As he grapples with the cancer running through his body he’s faced with the meaning of his work, his own legacy, and the sheer pain of being taken advantage of in his weakest moment. It’s his conflict of morals, awareness of his own morality, and the need to nurture and stand by his own moral code that runs through the film and pulls you to the edge of your seat. Tobin Bell has blessed us with bringing John Kramer and his universe to life, and this is his finest endeavour as the twisted serial gamemaster who wants us to appreciate our lives.
Greutert, Stolberg and Goldfinger come together to build a fitting epitaph to Kramer’s life and vision, filling the gaps that answer the questions of Saw II and Saw III.
One of the main tenets of the Saw franchise that leaves you biting your nails is the inevitable twist, and with Kramer and Billy always being five steps ahead of us all, it’s become a beautiful tradition amongst fans to dive into Jigsaw’s head so you can try and figure out the ending. Many of us are unsuccessful as he has a level of intelligence that we admire deeply, and we wait with playful gasps as he reveals to us the last hurrah. Saw X captures this main throughline of the franchise in ways that are as unexpected as the first time.
Greutert, Stolberg and Goldfinger come together to build a fitting epitaph to Kramer’s life and vision, filling the gaps that answer the questions of Saw II and Saw III. They push through a legacy built on pain and torment as Saw X now puts the next two Saw films in a full spin of urgency and deep reflection. Kramer looks different now and in the subsequent sequels. He knows for sure he’s going to die and he’s tried everything, paying for it dearly, initiating many tests, dabbling in anguish and death, all so that he could live, yet he still fell victim to the worst con artists that prey on the most vulnerable end-of-life people.
They broke the rules, but oh, did they pay for it.
Even if you’ve lost faith in the Saw franchise (as I’ve done from time to time), if you held the second and third films in your heart as the ones most faithful to the insane and monumental heights the first film put upon us, then you won’t be disappointed in Saw X – the most emotional, character-driven and devastating Saw after the first.
Saw X is playing in Cinemas Nationwide
