Saw X (2023) follows a sick and desperate John who travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. This was one of my most highly anticipated movies of the year and it really lived up to my expectations! This is one of the best films of the year so far, and one of the best in the Saw franchise.
The visuals in this film feel so reminiscent of the earlier entries in the franchise. The cinematography includes a lot of sickly colour palettes which set an eerie and stressful atmosphere. This movie also uses mood lighting to its advantage. The editing is quick and erratic, and the gore is absolutely disgusting which made for a brilliant cinema experience.
The sound design is extremely chaotic and adds to the overall unhinged vibe that makes the Saw movies so iconic. I also really love the score in this film, it might be my favourite score in the franchise.
The acting is overall very impressive in this film, and I'm so happy to focus lies mainly on John and Amanda. Tobin Bell takes centre stage in Saw X, and gives one of the strongest performances of his career. He turns the villainous character of the Jigsaw killer into a man with humanity and morals, and I often found myself sympathising with him. Also, Shawnee Smith is phenomenal as Amanda, she's a character I've always related to and I am extremely happy to see her back.
Lastly, this movie takes a good amount of time to build up the story and characters, and doesn't feel rushed. The pacing is consistent and I enjoyed seeing a more plot and character driven film, it makes for an entertaining and emotionally gripping watch.
The visuals in this film feel so reminiscent of the earlier entries in the franchise. The cinematography includes a lot of sickly colour palettes which set an eerie and stressful atmosphere. This movie also uses mood lighting to its advantage. The editing is quick and erratic, and the gore is absolutely disgusting which made for a brilliant cinema experience.
The sound design is extremely chaotic and adds to the overall unhinged vibe that makes the Saw movies so iconic. I also really love the score in this film, it might be my favourite score in the franchise.
The acting is overall very impressive in this film, and I'm so happy to focus lies mainly on John and Amanda. Tobin Bell takes centre stage in Saw X, and gives one of the strongest performances of his career. He turns the villainous character of the Jigsaw killer into a man with humanity and morals, and I often found myself sympathising with him. Also, Shawnee Smith is phenomenal as Amanda, she's a character I've always related to and I am extremely happy to see her back.
Lastly, this movie takes a good amount of time to build up the story and characters, and doesn't feel rushed. The pacing is consistent and I enjoyed seeing a more plot and character driven film, it makes for an entertaining and emotionally gripping watch.