The “Saw” franchise cemented itself in the horror sphere around 20 years ago with its soap opera-esque storytelling, toe-curling gore and performances from actors who bring their all to the project. After the last few sequels didn’t live up to fan expectations, the creative team behind the franchise swung back and brought out the newest addition to the canon: “Saw X.” 

Despite being the 10th film in the long-running franchise, “Saw X” takes place between the original 2004 “Saw” and the sequel that followed, “Saw II.” The film follows John Kramer (Tobin Bell) as he attempts to find salvation from his ongoing brain cancer. After a group of con artists claiming to be doctors scam him, Kramer enlists the help of his recently trained apprentice and Jigsaw game survivor, Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), to kidnap the thieves and put them through his life-or-death game in order to rehabilitate them.

A handful of the “Saw” sequels rely too much on gore and Kramer’s traps, but “Saw X” performs an impressive balancing act that brings gore fans love while also serving up an emotional story at its core. The story seems to be the most emotional one in the entire franchise, as the narrative focuses purely on Kramer’s desire to treat his cancer and his relationship with Amanda. It also feels reminiscent of “Saw VI” due to its indictment of the American healthcare system. Additionally, the story shows glimpses of Kramer’s life philosophy of “being grateful to be alive” thrown back at him.

Bell and Smith deliver top-notch performances as their characters take center stage in the plot. Never before did the “Saw” franchise follow Kramer and Amanda as the protagonists, and yet, throughout the runtime, the film manages to make audiences root for them despite their killer tendencies. The movie even displays a handful of moments in which the two share deeper conversations about Kramer’s looming death that’ll leave audiences tearing up listening to their favorite serial killer. Well, Kramer claims he’s not a killer, at least — just a life coach.

It’d be wrong to not dive into the traps, but to avoid spoilers, only one will come into discussion: the one on the movie’s poster. This trap features the victim locked in a chair with vacuum tubes on their eyes. In order to avoid the vacuum sucking their eyeballs out, they must break all their fingers to make amends for their thievery. This makes for just a taste of the full gore on display. The traps in “Saw X” stand out as creative and brutal with no uninteresting one the entire runtime. While the amount of gore feels about the same as previous movies, each trap cranks its brutality up to 100 to keep audiences squirming in dread and covering their eyes.

The best part of “Saw X” comes from the evident love and care poured into it. Audiences will be able to tell that genuine care for the franchise and its characters permeated the production. The film expertly ties back into the franchise, giving viewers a deeper look at beloved characters, and allowing Tobin Bell the spotlight he hasn’t enjoyed until now.

“Saw X” serves as a gorefest made specifically for “Saw” fans, but it still provides a lot to love for casual horror fans. It also helps that the only viewing required to understand this gorefest will be the first and second films in the franchise. Make sure to stick around through the credits, as there may be a little surprise and hint for what may come next.

4 eyeballs out of 5