‘SAW X’ opens with $18M domestically

Enter Saw X, the tenth installment in the franchise that stands as a prequel set between the first two films. Kevin Greutert, who previously helmed Saw VI and The Final Chapter, returns as both director and editor. It’s worth noting that Greutert has served as the editor on every single entry in the franchise, having a heavy hand in pioneering the visual style of Saw from the very beginning. He’s joined by writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, who wrote Jigsaw and Spiral. The creative minds behind Saw X have had their knees deep in the franchise for years, seeing its many highs and lows. Perhaps this is why the movie, in many ways, feels like a direct response to what fans have been longing for. Gone are overtly complicated plot twists that require homework. This is all about John Kramer, and his latest traps are as twisted as ever.

The story kicks off in what the filmmakers have said to be mere weeks after the first movie, where John Kramer is given the devastating news that he only has months to live due to his progressing brain tumor. With no options left, John takes a risk with alternative treatment. Doctor Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund) runs an independent operation with the goal of healing terminal cancer patients through an experimental surgical procedure. When she’s referred to John by a fellow cancer patient who now claims to be cured by this “miracle” treatment, the Jigsaw Killer packs his bags and heads down to Mexico where Doctor Pederson’s practice is currently located. After being put through a suspicious “surgery,” John discovers that he’s the latest victim of a fraudulent medical scheme. 

You can’t keep a good man down. John Kramer, otherwise known as the Jigsaw Killer, makes a savory comeback in Saw X. Lionsgate has had difficulty keeping the Saw franchise relevant ever since the main saga came to a close with the seventh entry, Saw: The Final Chapter (also titled Saw 3D). 2017’s Jigsaw was meant to serve as a soft reboot but was criticized as one of the worst films in the series. Fast forward to 2021 and the studio tried its hands at another relaunch with the spin-off Spiral: From the Book of Saw, which took place after all the previous 8 films and followed a new copycat Jigsaw Killer. As entertaining as Spiral was (with huge thanks to returning series director Darren Lynn Bousman), it didn’t generate the desired box office and fan reception, proving one thing: Saw isn’t the same to general audiences without Tobin Bell.

In another News, Gareth Edwards’ ‘THE CREATOR’ opens with $14M domestically on a $80M budget. Where has Gareth Edwards been all these years? Despite the success of 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – which now has its own prequel series in Andor and still stands as one of the more beloved projects from Disney-era Lucasfilm – the British writer-director has been absent from the spotlight. Now, 7 years later, Edwards has returned with a new original sci-fi epic titled The Creator. Co-written by Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), The Creator seems like an anomaly in today’s Hollywood landscape. Non-IP science fiction at this level has been moving away from theaters and onto streaming in the last decade. Unless you’re someone like James Cameron, pitching an original story as huge as The Creator to executives can be nothing more than foolish. But, miraculously, here we are with 20th Century Fox placing its bets on Gareth Edwards. And for my money’s worth, this gamble pays off.