Saw X (2023)
Director: Kevin Greutert
Screenwriters: Peter Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Renata Vaca, Michael Beach, Joshua Okamoto, Octavio Hinojosa, Paulette Hernandez, Jorge Briseño
Nineteen years after James Wan and Leigh Whannell launched the franchise with the original Saw, John Kramer—the Jigsaw Killer—remains one of modern horror’s most recognizable antagonists. Although the character was apparently killed off early in the series, Kramer’s influence persisted through flashbacks and prerecorded messages, while followers continued his brutal, morally charged traps. Saw X returns to the character’s perspective for the first time in a decade of sequels, placing the aging Kramer at the center of a story set months before Saw II.
In this installment, John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is a retired civil engineer confronting an inoperable brain tumor and a prognosis that gives him only months to live. Refusing to abandon his mission to force people to confront their moral failings through extreme trials, Kramer travels to a clandestine medical clinic on the outskirts of Mexico City that promises a revolutionary cure. The clinic, run by Cecelia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund), offers hope that turns out to be illusory: Kramer and many other patients have been deceived, and his condition remains terminal. With time slipping away, Kramer enlists Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) and sets out to locate and imprison those responsible for the fraud, subjecting them to a sequence of merciless games designed to expose their cruelty and hypocrisy.
What sets Saw X apart from several later entries in the series is its willingness to interrogate Kramer’s ideology rather than presenting him solely as an unstoppable malevolent force. By positioning Kramer as the film’s moral and narrative center, the movie allows the audience to scrutinize his convictions and see shades of doubt emerge. Tobin Bell’s weathered, committed performance lends the character a fragile humanity that complicates the viewer’s response: while Kramer’s methods are unforgivable, the film asks us to follow him closely enough to understand the internal contradictions that drive him.
The film leans more heavily into slasher and revenge motifs than many previous entries, giving Kramer a personal vendetta to pursue rather than a broad social indictment. Much of the runtime places him face-to-face with the people who consigned him to this fate, creating scenes that feel like perverse confrontations or grotesque therapy sessions. That intimacy amplifies emotional stakes and forces a different kind of reckoning—one where Kramer must witness the human consequences of his own cruel logic as he executes it on others.
Kevin Greutert, returning to direct after previously helming Saw VI and Saw 3D, demonstrates once more an ability to make the franchise look viscerally effective. Under his direction and the eye of cinematographer Nick Matthews, otherwise drab industrial locations take on dramatic visual character, and the practical special effects deliver gut-punching physicality. The tactile makeup and on-set gore feel particularly convincing here, contributing to what may be the bloodiest and most physically explicit chapter of the series.
The film’s antagonists include predatory medical operators and pharmaceutical profiteers—a theme that recalls elements of Greutert’s earlier franchise work—but Saw X singles out an especially odious cast of characters who seem deserving of harsh exposure. Synnøve Macody Lund seizes the opportunity to play Cecelia as someone equal parts composed and theatrically unhinged, shifting from restrained menace to exaggerated performative cruelty with relish. Shawnee Smith returns as Amanda Young, effortlessly slipping back into the unnerving, determined presence that made the character memorable, and her dynamic with Bell remains one of the franchise’s most intriguing relationships.
Consciously avoiding digital de-aging, the filmmakers allow the two central actors to portray Kramer and Amanda with the physicality that comes naturally to them. That choice accentuates authenticity, even if it visibly reminds the audience that the actors have aged in real time. The decision honors the performers’ strengths and keeps the film grounded in performance rather than visual trickery.
Fans of the franchise will find much of what they expect: traps that range from ingeniously simple to extravagantly elaborate, and a body-count aesthetic that prioritizes shock and discomfort. A few set pieces test the bounds of plausibility—even by Saw standards—but the practical effects and shock design will appeal to viewers seeking the series’ trademark intensity. For those who never embraced the franchise’s blend of moralizing and gore, Saw X will offer more of the same and likely little to change their opinion. Loyal viewers, however, may appreciate the film’s willingness to probe Kramer’s worldview more deeply while delivering the visceral experiences the series is known for.
If this proves to be Tobin Bell’s final major turn as John Kramer, the film serves as a darkly theatrical send-off: it confronts mortality, obligation and twisted conviction, while providing a spectacle tailored to hardcore fans. Saw X may not reinvent the wheel, but it sharpens the focus on its central character and stages his grim project with renewed clarity and technical craft.
Score: 17/24
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Recommended for fans of the franchise and viewers interested in a character-focused, intense horror experience.