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Saw X

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Saw X
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKevin Greutert
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyNick Matthews
Edited byKevin Greutert
Music byCharlie Clouser
Production
company
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
  • September 29, 2023 (2023-09-29)
Running time
118 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[1][2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13 million[3]
Box office$8 million[4]

Saw X is a 2023 American horror film and the tenth installment in the Saw film series, and serves as both a direct sequel to Saw (2004) and prequel to Saw II (2005). It is directed and edited by Kevin Greutert and written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. The film stars Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith reprising their roles from the previous films, with Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Renata Vaca, and Michael Beach. Set between the events of the first two films, John Kramer (Bell) travels to Mexico in hopes an experimental procedure may cure him. Before long, however, the operation is proven to be a hoax, leading him to enact an elaborate and gruesome revenge on those responsible.

A tenth installment was reported to be in development with Twisted Pictures in April 2021, with Stolberg and Goldfinger, writers for the previous two entries of the series confirmed the script was completed in December 2021. Filming took place from October 2022 to February 2023 in Mexico City.

Saw X was theatrically released by Lionsgate on September 29, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, with most describing the film as the strongest entry since the first film and praise for Bell's performance.[5]

Plot

John Kramer is told that, due to his advanced brain cancer, he has only months to live. He attends a cancer support meeting, where he meets Henry Kessler, who claims to have also gotten a terminal diagnosis. Time passes, and a physically destitute John is about to pen his will when he encounters a seemingly healthy Henry, who claims to have been cured by an experimental Norwegian cancer treatment conducted by a group led by Dr. Pederson. A desperate John contacts the doctor's daughter, Cecilia Pederson, who refers him to her clinic in Mexico City.

John is driven to the clinic by taxi driver Diego, and meets Gabriela, who claims to have been cured by Cecilia. He then witnesses Cecilia and her team – Mateo, Valentina, and Dr. Cortez – apparently perform successful surgery on another patient, Parker Sears. John also meets Carlos, a young boy who lives nearby. Surgery is conducted on John, and he wakes up to Cecilia congratulating him that he is now cancer-free. Finding a new lease on life, John fixes Carlos' bike and purchases a gift for Gabriela. However, on returning to the clinic, he finds it abandoned and realizes that the whole operation was a scam.

Deducing "Dr. Cortez" was Diego in disguise, John kidnaps him and places him in a trap where he must remove explosives wired to his arms by cutting through his flesh. Diego survives the trap and gives up the information of everyone involved in the scam. Jigsaw's apprentice Amanda Young then kidnaps Cecilia and her team; the four wake up in the clinic, where John and Amanda greet them as the subjects of Jigsaw's latest game.

Valentina is tasked with severing her leg with a gigli saw and extracting enough bone marrow to release a key and free herself. However, she fails and is decapitated by a second saw. Parker breaks into the clinic, claiming he wants his money back. Amanda restrains him while Mateo is forced to drill into his skull and remove a portion of his cerebral tissue to obtain another key. After taking too long, he is killed when a mask closes on him and melts his face. Gabriela is next and is suspended from shackles around her wrist and ankle while being subjected to ionizing radiation and must use a sledgehammer to break her shackled limbs and escape. She succeeds and John orders Amanda to take her to a hospital. However, before she can, the now-free Parker forces them at gunpoint to free Cecilia.

Cecilia breaks Gabriela's neck and reveals she called Parker, who is a part of the grift, to free her. She forces John to chain himself in her trap and is about to do the same to Amanda when she hears Carlos outside of the facility; having noticed John befriend the boy, she chains him up opposite John instead and reveals her intention: force John to betray his principles by sacrificing Carlos. Restrained on a seesaw underneath nozzles that release blood into their mouths, both John and Carlos make efforts to save each other by tilting the seesaw, taking turns enduring the brunt of the blasts.

Parker and Cecilia go to the room where Amanda and John were overseeing the games and find Cecilia's bag of stolen cash. However, a tripwire is activated that stops John and Carlos' trap while locking in Parker and Cecilia. John reveals Diego gave up Parker as one of the scammers, and he tricked Cecilia into luring him to the facility. The doors lock and deadly chemical gas begins filling the room. With their only respite a ventilation hole large enough for one person's head, Cecilia stabs Parker to death to save herself. She survives but can only watch as John, Amanda, and Carlos (to whom John gave the money) leave the facility while she is left imprisoned.

In a mid-credits scene, Henry, who was also part of the scam, finds himself in a trap being overseen by John and Mark Hoffman.

Cast

Further information: List of Saw characters

Production

Development

In April 2021, a tenth film installment to the Saw franchise, titled Saw X, was reported to be in development with Twisted Pictures.[6] Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, writers for the previous two entries of the series, Jigsaw (2017) and Spiral (2021), confirmed the script was completed in December 2021.[7] Producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules had planned the story of Saw X since 2018, but plans for the film were put on hold when Michael Burns, the Vice President of Lionsgate, met with Chris Rock in Brazil and approved his pitch for Spiral. That film's box office under-performance led Burg and Koules to go back to the franchise's roots for its tenth installment and make the story they had planned.[8] In August 2022, Bloody Disgusting reported the film would be directed by Kevin Greutert, who edited most of the previous installments, and directed Saw VI (2009) and Saw 3D (2010).[9]

Casting

In October 2022, Tobin Bell was confirmed to reprise the role of John Kramer / Jigsaw.[10] Greutert told Empire that Bell is featured in the film more than any other in the series.[11] Bell was also involved in the film's script and post-production, coming up with extra dialogue that was incorporated into the story after shooting concluded.[8] In December 2022, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand and Michael Beach joined the cast.[12] Shawnee Smith reprises her role as Amanda Young.[13] Renata Vaca, Paulette Hernandez, Joshua Okamoto and Octavio Hinojosa also joined the cast.[14]

Filming

Mexico City, where the film was shot.

On a budget of $13 million,[3] principal photography took place on location in Mexico City from late October 2022 to February 2023.[12][15][13] The trap designs were more complex than in previous installments, so the filming schedule was split into two parts—three weeks in November and three weeks in January. Greutert told SFX, "We had to make so many prosthetics and machines, and over Christmas, we spent the entirety of it figuring this stuff out".[16]

At the Midsummer Scream 2023 convention, cinematographer Nick Matthews said they wanted to pay homage to the earlier Saw films. He explained, "I think for Kevin and I, it was really important that we were able to pay homage to all the early films, we love that the early films are 1:85 (ratio), we love that they're textural, that they're gritty, that there's these really bold, yellow color palettes, and we want to do our work to hearken to that, with pervasive darkness, and really throwing the audience subjectively right into this graphic, gritty world".[17] Production designer Anthony Stabley looked back at the color palette from those mid-2000s films and ensured that all technology, like graphics, seen in Saw X would have been available when those films took place.[18]

Post-production

Most of the gore was done with practical effects, with CGI only being used for touchups.[16] The filmmakers considered to use some VFX to de-age Bell and Smith due to the fifteen years that have passed since they first appeared in the original Saw trilogy, but they ultimately desisted and Greutert was glad that they didn't de-age the actors, as "some of the films that have de-aged their actors, it puts some distance between the character and the audience", feeling that Bell and Smith have some emotional close-ups that shouldn't be altered.[8]

Release

Saw X was released theatrically in the United States by Lionsgate Films on September 29, 2023.[19] The film was set to be released on October 27, 2023, before Lionsgate announced at the San Diego Comic-Con that it would be moved up to its current date.[9][20]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Saw X was released alongside The Creator, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, and the wide expansion of Dumb Money, and is projected to gross $15–18 million from 3,262 theaters in its opening weekend.[3] It made $8 million on its first day, including $2 million from Thursday night previews.[21]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 85 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by a franchise-best performance by Tobin Bell, Saw X reinvigorates the series with an installment that has a surprising amount of heart to go with all the gore."[22] It is the highest-rated installment of the series on the site, topping the first film (50%).[5][23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[24] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled at PostTrak gave it an 82% overall positive score, with 62% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[21]

Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote that Saw X seemed "more like a real movie than many of the films in the series is that there's more talking and less torturing". He was satisfied with that ratio but was concerned if it would "pay off at the box office". He explained, "The torture set pieces in the Saw films are lavish gifts of baroque horror presented to the audience. They are, quite simply, the reason we came". He gave particular praise to Tobin Bell, "with his stare of pitiless wisdom".[25] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter also praise Bell for his performance, saying "None of this would work nearly as well without Bell, whose raspy voice and menacing gravitas are so riveting that he makes Jigsaw's oft-repeated declaration 'I'd like to play a game' scary as hell".[26]

Beatrice Loayza said in her review in the The New York Times that, "This is the most well-groomed Saw movie to date. The story mostly makes sense and Greutert pulls back on the frenetic editing techniques that made the older movies look like the blood and guts equivalent of white noise".[27] Bob Strauss of the San Francisco Chronicle called the film "a well-told tale, with some solid characterizations and quite decent twists".[28]

Helen O'Hara from Empire gave the film a score of two out of five and a consensus of "The blood and gore is all present and correct, but the focus on Kramer's vulnerability and human side sits at odds with his awful judgmentalism. Let monsters be monsters".[29] Kyle Turner writing for Slant gave the film a score of two and half out of four, saying "The real disappointment is that Shawnee Smith, who makes a return to the series for the first time since Saw VI, is relegated to mostly doing John's dirty work. It's hard out here for a disciple, and Smith hasn't had the chance to show off her chops as an actor since Saw III. But in Saw X, we do get crumbs of what makes her so thrilling as a performer, particularly one in the horror genre: She’s all id, a tempest of emotion and fully embodied desperation and psychosis."[30]

Future

In September 2023, producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules stated there are tentative plans for future installments in the Saw film series, dependent on the reception and success of Saw X.[31] Later that month, Stolberg announced that there are active plans for an eleventh installment. They stated that the mid-credits scene of Saw X is intended to set up a future film which will again include the character, Mark Hoffman.[32] The character Cecilia was intentionally left alive for a possible sequel to expand upon.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b "SAW X (18)". British Board of Film Classification. September 14, 2023. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  2. ^ "Saw X (2023)". All Movie. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Rubin, Rebecca (September 27, 2023). "Box Office: PAW Patrol and Saw X to Battle for No. 1 in Crowded Weekend". Variety. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  4. ^ "Saw X (2023) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Hibberd, James (September 28, 2023). "Saw X Gets Franchise's Best Reviews, First "Fresh" Rotten Tomatoes Score". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  6. ^ Miska, Brad (April 8, 2021). "'Saw' Franchise Targets Milestone Tenth Film as Development is Underway". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  7. ^ Squires, Josh (December 15, 2021). "'Spiral' Writer Josh Stolberg Says the Next 'Saw' Movie Will "Make John Kramer Fans Very Happy"". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Collis, Clark (September 27, 2023). "Tobin Bell's iconic horror villain Jigsaw finally takes center stage in Saw X". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Squires, John (August 15, 2022). "Next 'Saw' Movie Set for Halloween 2023 Release With Kevin Greutert Directing! [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022.
  10. ^ Vlessing, Etan (October 24, 2022). "Tobin Bell Returning for Next 'Saw' Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Nicholson, Tom (August 30, 2023). "Saw X Features Tobin Bell's Jigsaw "More Than In Any Other Saw", Says Director Kevin Greutert – Exclusive Image". Empire. Archived from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (December 8, 2022). "'Saw' Alum Shawnee Smith Circling 10th Installment As Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand & Michael Beach Sign On". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Navarro, Meagan (February 10, 2023). "'Saw 10' – Filming Has Wrapped on the Latest Installment!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 14, 2022). "'Saw': Renata Vaca & Three Others Join Tenth Installment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  15. ^ Rajput, Priyanca (November 4, 2022). "2022 film and high-end TV productions shooting globally: latest updates". KFTV.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Shepherd, Jack, ed. (September 6, 2023). "Saw That Coming". SFX (370) (October 2023 ed.): 58–61.
  17. ^ Tinoco, Armando (August 5, 2023). "Saw X Director Kevin Greutert On Why Horror Film Is Set In Mexico". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  18. ^ Brail, Nathaniel (September 22, 2023). "Saw X Production Designer Reveals How Difficult It Was to Recreate Film's Mid-2000s Look". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  19. ^ Vlessing, Etan (July 20, 2023). "Tobin Bell Becomes Desperate Jigsaw Killer in Saw X First-Look Image". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 20, 2023). "Lionsgate Gets Excited About Saw X: Horror Pic Moves Earlier In Fall; First Look Unveiled – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  21. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 30, 2023). "'PAW Patrol 2' Bites 'Saw X' & 'The Creator' At Box Office - Saturday AM U". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  22. ^ "Saw X". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 30, 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  23. ^ "All Saw Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  24. ^ "Saw X". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  25. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (September 28, 2023). "Saw X Review: Tobin Bell Dominates a Torture-Porn Sequel That Comes Closer to Being a Real Movie. That Might Be a Good Thing (or Not)". Variety. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  26. ^ Scheck, Frank (September 28, 2023). "Saw X Review: Tobin Bell Returns to the Central Role, and the Diabolical Gore Is as Creative and Brutal as Ever". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  27. ^ Loayza, Beatrice (September 29, 2023). "Saw X Review: Blood, Guts and a Little Heart". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  28. ^ Strauss, Bob (September 28, 2023). "Saw X is the most shocking thing in the franchise yet: A decent movie". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  29. ^ O'Hara, Helen (September 28, 2023). "Saw X Review". Empire. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  30. ^ Turner, Kyle (September 28, 2023). "Saw X Review: Revenge with a Little Meat to It". Slant. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  31. ^ Ridgley, Charlie (September 22, 2023). "Saw Franchise Producers Confirm More Plans for Jigsaw After Saw X". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  32. ^ Tilly, Chris (September 29, 2023). "Saw X: Producers tease return of fan favorite in Saw 11". Dexerto. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  33. ^ Hall, Jacob (September 29, 2023). "Saw 11 Isn't Set In Stone, But The Series Producers Have Some Ideas [Exclusive]". Slash Film. Retrieved September 30, 2023.

Further reading

"It's a Trap". Empire (October 2023) (Dune: Part Two ed.). August 31, 2023. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.

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