International magazines have praised Saw X, the tenth installment of the Saw franchise, which debuted back in 2004, as the “most effective” installment to date.
The next installment of Saw, which has been making audiences around the globe itch for some pain porn, has just landed on screens. Many foreign magazines have praised it as a treat for horror fans; others have dubbed it “the most effective” horror series to date, while still others have expressed disapproval for its excess.
The best in the series
“Whereas the Saw series had gotten increasingly elaborate with its traps, Saw X strips it back to the more lo-fi charms of the first two movies,” reads a complimentary review from Digital Spy. Even while the latter sequels’ large-scale traps enhanced the gore, their impact was diminished.
According to the same review, Saw X would draw in both newbies and devoted aficionados. The review says that while Saw X “might still deliver the gore you’d expect from a Saw outing,” it has “potentially injected the series with fresh blood” by trying something different from previous entries.
For the fans
A different review, from The Hollywood Reporter, gently warns that Saw X is best suited for those who can handle its trademark gore. According to the article, “a character using someone’s intestines as a lasso is simply par for the course” in this type of horror film.
It also commemorates Tobin Bell’s comeback to the scary Jigsaw role. “Without Bell, none of this would work nearly as well. His menacing gravitas and raspy voice are so riveting that he makes Jigsaw’s often repeated declaration, ‘I’d like to play a game,’ scary as hell,” the review reads.
Excessive torture porn
It appears that the Variety review is more of a cautionary tale than a disclaimer. Tobin Bell, with his ruthless, calculating gaze, is likewise captivating, but Saw X poses the question of how much of John Kramer’s hand-wringing is excessive.
Kevin Greutert’s Saw X, written and directed by Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg, is a prequel to Saw II (2005) and a direct sequel to the 2004 film Saw. Hollywood
