The Saw film franchise is very popular. The franchise had become admired because, at the time of the release of the first movie, it was unlike any other horror movie. The Saw movies have been produced since 2004. The first Saw film made $103.9 million in box office sales and the franchise together has made over $1 billion. James Wan and Leigh Whannell created the franchise and it’s been a success since.
The series revolves around the serial killer John Kramer who is also known as Jigsaw. Jigsaw values all life, so he places people in death traps so they can reflect on their bad choices in life. The death traps featured in Saw X are quite crazy. The people put in them have to make a physical sacrifice to live, and they learn from it to love life.
You must watch Saw before watching Saw X. The reason is because Saw X takes place after the first movie even though it is the 10th film in the series. Saw starts with two strangers, Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Adam. Both wake up in a bathroom that happens to have a body lying on the floor. They have to solve a puzzle and escape the bathroom in a certain amount of time otherwise they die. A character called Amanda is also introduced in this movie and plays a big part in future movies.
Saw X starts with John Kramer talking with his doctors about his cancer. As I’ve seen all the Saw movies, it’s weird to see the movie not start with a trap. John finds out from one of his friends that he can get special treatment to remove his cancer, but he has to go to Mexico. The surgery also costs all the money he has, so it’s a risky decision for John to make.
I found myself liking one character in particular in the movie. Amanda, played by Shawnee Smith, who appears in the first movie as a victim of Jigsaw is now working together with him. In my opinion, she is a bad character in the other movies because of what she does, but seeing her actions in Saw X surprised me. Amanda made better decisions in her situation even though she is working with Jigsaw. The director, Kevin Greutert, did great with her character in general.
The Saw X soundtrack makes the movie even better. Charlie Clouser who composed the soundtrack did an amazing job. Each song fit perfectly with the scenes they played in. Suspenseful or intense moments wouldn’t be as serious without the music. The song “Zepp X” is the best piece in the movie entirely. “Zepp X” is one of many renditions from the classic song “Hello Zepp” which was made for the first movie. The reason why it’s always remade in a slightly different form is because it is the song that sums up the movies. Typically every Saw has it as one of the last songs and it plays when everything starts making sense, when all the puzzle pieces start fitting together. Charlie Clouser couldn’t have done better in my mind.
No Saw film is complete without the death traps. The traps featured are very creative and fit with the theme of the movie. Some might not be as gruesome as other movies, but are way more brutal, like the brain surgery trap. The Saw X movie cover shares a bit about one of the most disturbing traps shown in the film.
Overall, I found this film to be one of the best Saw movies. John Kramer and Amanda are two great characters to watch. The music played a vital role in transforming the movie and bringing out its best in all the important scenes. The traps create suspenseful moments worth watching. I recommend seeing Saw X, it’s a horror film that lives up to its franchise’s legacy.
