Jerique

I've been waiting for over a decade. Almost got my wish in 2017 with Jigsaw. Almost got my wish again with Spiral. But, then I saw that this wouldn't be a direct sequel for Saw 3D. Instead it fits right between Saw and Saw II.

Well, beggars can't be choosers. Maybe since the box office numbers were good, it resurrected the series and we can get one final sequel to Saw 3D before it's too late to still include Tobin Bell.

Saw X follows John Kramer as the protagonist this time around. John finds out his time is very limited. But he finds out from a close friend that there is an experimental procedure he can have that would rid him of his cancer.

After undergoing "surgery" John finds himself to have been conned by all the medical staff and the guy who told him about it, as well as the other "patients" that were present for their procedures.

This is where Saw becomes Saw, as usual. I think the filmmakers missed making the audience squirm in their seats because these traps/games meet new levels of gore. It was uneasy to watch a lot of it.

However, I didn't have to worry about much in the film, while cheering for John. Since this is a prequel, we know that John makes it out unscathed and we know that the "bad guys" don't.

Kevin Greutert returns as director again, Charlie Clouser returns to do the music again. Both are a treasure to have back. They really bring the it factor to Saw.

Saw X is well-done. Although I desire a sequel that continues the story of what happened after Saw 3D, it's still able to entertain and fill that void that's been missing for over 10 years.

From the mystery of the name surrounding the film (if you're unfamiliar with the video games) and the previews that give no hints to what is happening at the abandoned pizzeria, the film is intriguing to see.

However, if it hadn't been for the inclusion of Elizabeth Lail, I probably wouldn't have bothered. I wanted to see Guinevere Beck in a new way.

Lail plays the cop who has her eyes on the protagonist, Michael (Josh Hutcherson, Peeta from Hunger Games). The subplot of Michael's young brother being taken and he keeps dreaming about it, seemingly changing the outcome little by little is full of mystery.

At first, the mascots seem to be very scary. But they are very tame and a majority of the movie is no action. They aren't very violent, except for when people vandalize the restaurant. Mary Stuart Masterson plays a slight villainous role of the aunt hoping to usurp custody of Michael's sister Abby, and it feels odd that such an established actress would take such a small role.

Overall, the puppeteer work is top-notch. Set design is great. Lighting effects give that horror atmosphere. But ultimately this is hardly a horror film. No jump scares. It doesn't stick in your head psychologically.

Time passes and you feel like you watched a decent film, but there really wouldn't be crazy excitement on the announcement of a sequel. It feels like this is a fully told story.

Ghostface returns again, this time to New York. I really enjoyed the opening to this film, as it was really fresh. And a kudos to the filmmakers for hitting many nostalgic moments. I enjoyed the callback to many references to the series and made me feel really welcomed as a viewer.

Barrera and Ortega lead the cast with some great performances and it's well needed when Dermot Mulroney is lacking in his performance. It at times feels ridiculous and the story feels familiar in a sense.

It wasn't overly predictable but if you're paying attention the who-dun-it aspect isn't very hard to figure out. But you may be surprised at the final reveal. Ghostface is more brutal this go-around and it's very much needed after two installments where he didn't feel very menacing.

As much as I thought I'd be missing Neve Campbell, I didn't. Her presence wasn't needed. Even Courteney Cox sticks out like a sore thumb and Gale wasn't needed to return. But it was still good to see her inclusion. Jenna Ortega is becoming a household name and it won't be long before we hear her in the same sentence as Neve for negotiating a big contract should these films continue.

I wouldn't be opposed to another film. However, these guys need to be bold next go. I felt like after being bold in Scream 5 last year, they backstepped and thought twice about eliminating certain characters. I would also like to see Ghostface under the mask have the same sort of scary without the mask.

If this iteration is any indication, the series is in good hands for a while.