The first Saw film is one of the most influential horror films ever made and one of the best of the 21st century. Since 2004, it has been followed up with MULTIPLE sequels, with only one arguably coming close to the magic of the first film, 2005’s Saw II. Well, it only took 8 films, but I think I can confidently say we finally have a Saw film on par with the first and possibly surpassing it. Saw X is a breath of fresh air and shows that this franchise, unlike the majority of its victims, has the will to live.

This film, much like the rest of this franchise, is anchored by the leading performance of Tobin Bell, who arguably delivers his greatest performance as John Kramer/Jigsaw. For once, Kramer is the true main character in a film. X is essentially a character study of John Kramer. We’ve never seen his operation and its inner workings in this type of depth until now. We get to witness the emotional baggage that Kramer and his apprentice Amanda Young, played by the wonderful Shawnee Smith for the first time in over a decade, carry.

In true Saw fashion, the games are hard to watch, and the practical effects team once again knocks it out of the park. We also get some of the cruelest and most creative traps in the series so far. The trap victims are also some of my favourite in the entire franchise. All of them prove they have the will to live in some capacity, even if it doesn’t work out for them. This new attitude replaces the usual victim pleas and whining and makes the viewing experience more intense and I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time. It also helps that these are genuinely bad people who wronged John terribly.

The story is quite honestly the most engaging since the first film. For the first 30-40 minutes, it’s not a Saw movie in the normal sense. We follow John Kramer as an ordinary man trying to seek out a cure for his cancer. However, once he learns the experimental treatment is a hoax and meant to cheat vulnerable people out of money, John, as he should, takes it personally but to the extreme. To quote a line said by a fan-favourite character in the film “Out of all the men to cheat, you picked John Kramer? I call that…epic bad luck”. And epic bad luck it is as we see Jigsaw’s most personal game play out. Unlike the previous films in the franchise, this one is the most straightforward Saw movie without any flashbacks. Another bonus is that you don’t have to have seen any of the previous films for this one to make sense. My only issue with this film is that there are some pacing issues with some scenes lasting longer than needed. A minor complaint in the grand scheme of things.

Saw X continues the winning streak of high-quality horror movies in the 2020s. Tobin Bell’s return is extremely welcome and director Kevin Greutert’s refreshing new take on the franchise gives us the best instalment yet.