“Saw X” brings back Tobin Bell as John Kramer, and it wants to prove the franchise still has teeth. The setup is simple: Kramer travels to Mexico for an experimental cancer cure, finds it’s a fraud, and decides to punish the scammers with his signature traps. Shawnee Smith returns as Amanda Young, and the film leans heavily on both actors to carry the weight.
Trailer, via Lionsgate Movies.
Kramer’s Revenge
Kramer’s discovery that the entire procedure is a scam drives the whole picture. He bonds with Carlos, the caretaker’s young son, and then learns the truth about the fake surgery. The moment he removes his bandages and finds no scar is the film’s best sequence, a quiet reveal that lands harder than any scream.
The Trap Mechanics
Diego, the taxi driver who pretended to be Dr. Cortez, gets the film’s best trap. He must cut through his own flesh to remove pipe bombs strapped to his arms. It’s brutal, it’s inventive, and it plays out with tension. Valentina fares worse: she severs her leg with a Gigli saw to gather bone marrow, fails, and a second saw decapitates her. Cecilia uses Valentina’s intestines as a rope to reach her phone. These traps are the reason anyone watches a “Saw” movie.
Amanda’s Role
Amanda acts as Kramer’s accomplice, helping him abduct the clinic staff and then locking them into his games. She’s a constant presence, and the film leans on her chemistry with Bell to keep the tone dark rather than silly.
The Cast
Bell is the reason this works. He’s in the film more than any other installment, according to Greutert, and his involvement in script and post-production shows in the final product. Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, and Michael Beach round out the scammers, while Renata Vaca, Paulette Hernández, Joshua Okamoto, and Octavio Hinojosa fill out the clinic’s patients. Costas Mandylor appears as Mark Hoffman in a cameo that Greutert called “the most fan-servicey thing” he’s ever done.
What Works
The traps are the draw. Kramer’s personal vengeance adds a layer of motivation that the earlier films sometimes lacked. The Mexico setting gives the film a fresh backdrop, and the clinic feels like a real, lived-in space.
What Doesn’t
The pacing drags in the middle, and some of the supporting characters don’t get enough time to earn their fates. The film is mostly interested in the traps themselves, which means character depth suffers. There’s a lot of talking before the traps start, and some sequences feel padded.
“The most fan-servicey thing” he’s ever done
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Traps | Ingenious, tense | Too much talk before the payoff |
| Kramer | Motivated, focused | Some scenes feel stretched |
| Setting | Fresh, claustrophobic | Supporting characters underdeveloped |
Final Word
“Saw X” isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. The traps are sharp, the revenge plot is satisfying, and Bell delivers his best performance in the series. The film stumbles in its middle stretch but recovers with its final act. It’s a solid entry in a franchise that’s been wandering for years.
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