COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - SAW X (LIONSGATE 4K UHD)
Franchises are often exercises in quantity over quality, especially series that go past 3 films. Maintaining continuity with characters and narratives, while also upping the ante for each sequel without being redundant can be a tall task. In fact, the difficulty in keeping these stories going into 5+ entries is heightened by the “requel” effect that so many franchises have taken to sprucing up the material without having to pay respect to the storylines that came before. These tactics are more superficial than anything else and often are easier to justify than trying to adhere to lore that in some cases is decades old. One series that hasn’t really faced this problem is the Saw franchise. Debuting in 2004, the Saw series debuted a new entry every year until 2010 before taking a 7-year hiatus. Known for its flimsy logic and drastic narrative swings, the one thing that has kept the Saw franchise going is its central antagonist, Jigsaw. In Saw X, out now on 4K UHD from Lionsgate, the series goes into requel territory in the hopes of maintaining its focus on Kramer while also acknowledging that after 2017’s Jigsaw there just aren’t many other places to take this story. Does Saw X give the fans what they want or is it just another attempt to breathe life into a franchise that should take a break?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
John Kramer is back. The most disturbing installment of the Saw franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw's most personal game. Set between the events of Saw I and II, a sick and desperate John 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. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged, and ingenious traps.
HOW IS IT?
The Saw franchise is anything but straightforward. Known for disjoined storytelling and heaps of logical leaps, it is a prime example of a film where the more you think about it the more problems you will find. Much of this is due to the varying degrees of retcons that have occurred over the franchise to help maintain its vibrancy. Moving aside 2021’s Spiral, Saw X is the first new Saw film in 6 years. Not a direct sequel to 2017’s Jigsaw, more like a “requel” in the sense that this one takes place between the events of Saw 1 and 2. This novel way of continuing the series is at times a welcome return to form, while also being symptomatic of some of the series’ biggest flaws. Still, Saw X is far better than most sequels this far in the franchise and is well worth your time even if you have found it hard to connect with later entries in the series.
Saw X takes us back to a time when John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is not dead, but rather, dying. He’s been diagnosed with brain cancer and for the first third of the film, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking you have the latest Hallmark film on and not a Saw film. Unlike other entries in the series, Saw X is a far slower film that takes more time emphasizing the melodrama of coming to terms with a terminal illness and the hope that so many in that position cling to. While it may seem superfluous, the meandering start is really just set up to introduce the cast of victims that Jigsaw John Kramer has in store. The pacing is one of the lesser qualities of Saw X, as it has this strange peak/valley sensation when you watch it. There are moments of high tension and excitement that are followed by long stretches of exposition and dialogue, and as a viewer, this translates into a series of what feels like false starts. Every time the tension ratchets up and then plummets, it takes some time for the story to pick up again which hurts the natural climax building. A lot of this is due to this being a more character-driven Saw film where we spend a lot of time behind the scenes with Kramer rather than with the victims.
In many ways, Saw X is probably what Jigsaw meant to be. It is a more introspective look into the character of John Kramer, even if it is a bit hollow. While nothing is learned about Kramer that we didn’t already know, this does provide a vehicle for Tobin Bell to vamp extensively as Kramer thus leading this to be more of a John Kramer movie than your standard Saw film. However, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a Saw film through and through, and the traps are really where the film shines. All of the preamble about Kramer and his convictions really is a distraction from what everyone is here to see; people behaving badly and being punished brutally. While there is a bit of a tease with the cover art trap, the rest of the ones included in the film lean into what makes the Saw films so entertaining. While everyone has their favorite trap, there is a case to be made for a couple that appears in this entry. Specifically, the one involving a Gigli saw and another involving some “Hannibal-esque” cranium surgery. While the suspension of disbelief is required here, these traps deliver some of the best gore effects in the franchise's history with characters who for the most part, deserve everything that is coming to them. The performances are all solid, with special mentions to Synnøve Macody Lund as Cecilia who is diabolically devilish and a fitting adversary for Bell’s Kramer.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Saw X looks stunning! Presented in native 4K resolution (2160p) with HDR10 and the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Included with the 4K UHD disc is also a Blu-Ray disc that offers the same aspect ratio albeit at a lower transfer quality. Given the use of HDR10 on the 4K UHD disc, this is the preferred way to watch them film even though the Blu-Ray disc looks great as well. The major differences are going to be with regard to darker colors and sections of the film that are enhanced by the HDR10 capabilities. Images from this release are used throughout this review and can be seen below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Not to be outdone by the visual aspects of the film, the Dolby Atmos track is the real show stealer here. The advent of Atmos at home has made the delineation between the theater and the living room much murkier and for the better. Not only does the Atmos track feel immersive and full, but it also takes full advantage of the codec’s ability to pinpoint audio to precise areas of the sound landscape. There were times watching this that you may think people are talking around you at varying degrees of distance, and the music encompasses you while you’re watching without ever becoming overbearing or unbalanced.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
A recent and unfortunate trend in studio-produced physical media is the reduction of special features that used to be a main selling point for DVDs and Blu-rays. Thankfully, Lionsgate offers more than expected with the release of Saw X, and while it isn’t as exhaustive as some boutique labels will go, it is better than nothing. The standout special feature is a series of featurettes that you can watch individually or as a singular experience titled Reawakening. Some of these featurettes premiered on YouTube before the release of the film, and all six of these combined offer up a full 90 minutes of insight into the production, casting, locations, cinematography, and legacy of the franchise overall. The most fascinating are the ones that focus on the narrative and then the ones focused on the production design and makeup. What was interesting to hear is that in previous Saw films, many of the traps were not fully realized in the script and were really “completed” during production. This wasn’t the case for Saw X as much as other entries, but it was a highlight given how much these films live and die by the traps. A full list of special features included are listed below.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary with Director-Editor Kevin Greutert, Cinematographer Nick Matthews, and Production Designer Anthony Stabley
Reawakening Multipart Making-of Documentary:
Drawing Inspiration: Illustrated Scene Breakdowns with Director-Editor Kevin Greutert
Make-Up Department Trap Tests
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
LAST RITES
While Saw X won’t win any new fans of the genre, it will reinvigorate old fans with elevated effects and a greater focus on John Kramer. In spite of some uneven pacing due to a slightly longer runtime, there is a lot of gory fun to be had here and the release from Lionsgate is not only a visual and auditory delight, it is filled with a great feature-length documentary to boot.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at Team Click and Lionsgate for providing a review copy for the crypt! Saw X is available NOW and can be purchased online from physical media retailers!
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