Saw X · reception & legacy
2023 · Kevin Greutert
How Saw X has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
After Spiral stumbled, nobody expected the tenth Saw film to be the franchise's redemption — but Saw X landed as the best-reviewed entry in the series' history, and two years on it's still the consensus pick for 'the good one' alongside the 2004 original.
What's debated
The recurring fight: is turning John Kramer into a sympathetic, borderline-heroic protagonist the smartest thing the franchise ever did, or a moral cop-out that lets a serial killer off the hook?
Its footprint
It gave horror Twitter and Letterboxd the 'John Kramer did nothing wrong' era — reviews cheerfully rooting for Jigsaw — and its release the same day as PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie spawned the beloved 'Saw Patrol' double-feature meme.
Where it stands
An instant fan favourite and legacy-sequel success story — the rare part-ten that horror fans genuinely recommend, powered by affection for Tobin Bell's fullest performance as Kramer.