John Kramer (Tobin Bell) has terminal brain cancer and his doctor gives him only a few months to live. He has pretty much given up hope when he hears about an experimental treatment with a 90% success rate, which could be the miracle cure he is looking for. He does some research and contacts the woman in charge, Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund), to sign up. He heads to Mexico to receive the treatment, which he is told was a complete success. However, he soon discovers that he has been scammed, and that Cecilia and her team of con artists have been preying on the hopes of the terminally ill to make a quick buck. So he decides to exact his unique style of revenge on the people involved. With the help of his apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith), he abducts those involved in the ruse, putting them in a trap room where they will have the opportunity to repent and save themselves, though usually in the form of self-afflicted bodily harm or mutilation. Can these victims turn the tables on John and find a ay to escape, or is he too clever for that?!

Saw X is a true return to form, and quite possibly my favorite film in the franchise thus far. The events are set between Saw 2 and Saw 3, and it features a much more personal story that puts John Kramer at the forefront. In many of the other Saw films, the story can be a bit thin and convoluted, just serving as a slight narrative to string together a group of John’s latest victims being put to the test. Here we get to see the full story of this man who is given new hope of a cure to his fatal illness, only to have this hopes dashed. In past films, it often felt like it wasn’t really John’s place to be trying and executing these strangers, so I often sided with his victims, hoping they’d find some way to escape. However, this time around, John wss actually the victim, and I found myself connecting with him, hoping to see these people pay for what they had done to him. We get to see how the whole story plays out, with John getting his hopes up, only to have them crush, and wanting to may these people pay for what they had done to him. John’s latest batch of potential victims being put to the test are the mastermind Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund) and her willing accomplices—Gabriela (Renata Vaca), Diego (Joshua Okamoto), Mateo (Octavio Hinojosa), Valentina (Paulette Hernández), and Parker Sears (Steven Brand).

The traps are just as creative, gruesome and cringeworthy as ever. You’ve got to wonder what kind of mind comes up with these torture devices! I often found myself squirming as John’s victims realized exactly what John was expecting them to do to free themselves, and then rushing to try to accomplish this before the clock runs out, or the pain becomes too unbearable. The use of practical effects makes all of these sequences look and feel incredibly reel. Returning to the franchise is John’s apprentice Amanda, who not only helps to bring out the humanity in John, but also adds some fun, dry sarcastic humor.

The filmmakers have also done an excellent job of recreating the look and feel of the earlier films. While this installment is shot digitally, it still has the look of a movie that’s been shot on film. The trap sequences also have that washed out red, green and yellow stylized color palette of the earlier movies. At the same time, the film feels fresh and new, both filmed and set in Mexico, and making use of its unique visuals, locales and culture.

As mentioned earlier, this film’s story is very straightforward and makes complete logical sense. However, it still has many fun, clever and unexpected twists that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Lionsgate’s 4K release looks and sounds great, providing an excellent level of detail while also recreating the look and color tones of the earlier films. The audio track is equally impressive, accentuating every gruesome slice and cut the victims are forced to enact on themselves, plus a generally immersive ambiance throughout that makes the viewer feel like they are right in the middle of the action.

The 4K and Blu-ray discs reside on either side of a standard 4K Keepcase, with a rounded-corner, embossed slipcover. The case also includes an insert with redemption instructions for a 4K digital copy of the film, redeemable via Apple TV or Vudu (it is not Movies Anywhere compatible). Both discs contains the same bonus materials—a filmmaker commentary, extensive making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:58:24)

4K UHD:

• HDR10
• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Descriptive Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 11/21/2024):

• 4K Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV or Vudu (not Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:

• Audio Commentary with Director-Editor Kevin Greutert, Cinematographer Nick Matthews, and Production Designer Anthony Stabley (1:58:24)
  Director/Editor Kevin Greutert, cinematographer Nick Matthews, and production designer Anthony Stabley recorded this commentary 2 days before the trailer was first released to the public. They don’t always provide a scene-by-scene specific commentary, often going into a more general discussion about the making of the movie, the cast and crew, etc, but that share some interesting stories and anecdotes about the production. Some of these stories get a bit repetitive with the other featurettes included on the disc.
• Reawakening (1:35:47)
  Extensive 6-part Making-of documentary. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, concept artwork, storyboards, and interviews with co-screenwriter Josh Stolberg, director/editor Kevin Greutert, producers Mark Burg & Oren Koules, executive producers Dan Heffner & Jason Constantine, production designer Anthony Stabley, cinematographer Nick Matthews, prosthetic makeup designer Justin Raleigh, key prosthetic makeup artist Kelsey Berk, stunt coordinator Daniel Salazar, composer Charlie Clouser, and stars Tobin Bell (“John Kramer”), Shawnee Smith (“Amanda”), Synnøve Macody Lund (“Cecilia Pederson”), Steven Brand (“Parker Sears”), Paulette Hernández (“Valentina”), Octavio Hinojosa (“Mateo”) & Renata Vaca (“Gabriela”). Play All, or select from:
  • I Want to Play a Game: Bleeding New Life into the Saga (8:37)
    The filmmakers talk about concentrating on John’s character and making it a simpler story (with no cops), putting the project on hold for Spiral, the Saw timeline, putting a child in danger, and more.
  • This Time It’s Personal: Characters and Casting (25:26)
    A look at Tobin’s contributions to the script, Jigsaw’s philosophy, the return of Amanda and her relationship with John, the new cast and characters, how some of the characters changed from the original script, and more.
  • Another Time, Another Place: Locations and Cinematography (10:15)
    A discussion of shooting and setting the film in Mexico, the filming locations, shooting on digital but emulating the look of the earlier films, the colors and lighting, the aspect ratio, the camera flow, and more.
  • There Will Be Blood: Production Design and Make-up (21:00) A A look at the process of creating and filming the traps and prosthetics.
  • Leave Nothing to Chance: Post-Production (19:39)
    A look into the editing process, the score, and how it’s different from a typical Saw movie, and more.
  • Live or Die: Release and Legacy (10:48)
    The filmmakers discuss the trailer, audience reactions, integrating the original Lionsgate logo, and more.
• Drawing Inspiration: Illustrated Scene Breakdowns with Director-Editor Kevin Greutert (33:55)
  Director/Editor Kevin Greutert provides in-depth analysis of three scenes, providing behind-the-scenes commentary and pausing to make notations and highlight things on the screen. Play All, or select from:
  • Cecilia’s House (7:32)
  • SC 89 (19:34)
  • Gabriela’s Test (6:47)
  • Make-Up Department Trap Tests (17:28)
    Raw footage of the crew testing the various traps, along with a score in the background.
  • Deleted Scenes (37:10)
    Collection of 13 deleted/alternate/extended scenes. Play All, or select from:
    • SC 9: Passage of Time (2:20)
    • SC 16: John Consults With William (1:56)
    • SC 19: John Packs and Leaves Apartment (:33)
    • SC 31: Help Me Cheat Death (:40)
    • SC 36: John Gets Injections (1:27)
    • SC 41–42: Gabriella Makes Breakfast, Valentina Takes Blood (1:34)
    • SC 63: John Tries To Find Dr. Cortez (:49)
    • SC 70: John Interrogates Diego (1:26)
    • SC 89: Wake Up in Main Test – Full Length (13:44)
    • SC 100: That’s Not How We Do Things (:55)
    • SC 107: Parker Unchained, John Wayne Gacy (10:03)
    • SC 114: Team of Specialists Flashback (:56)
    • SC 141: Cecilia Escapes, Post-Credits Version (:40)
  • Theatrical Trailer (2:30)

Final Thoughts:

Saw X may be my favorite film in the Saw franchise—it’s the first story that truly made complete sense as to why John was putting these people in traps, and also gave this character more of a humanity and made you root for him rather than his victims. Lionsgate’s 4K release looks and sounds stellar, and includes an excellent assortment of bonus material. This is a must own for any fan of the franchise, and highly recommended for anyone looking for a solid (and gruesome) horror movie.