Come for the bloody torture, stay for the effective character study – Saw X may just be the best of the franchise. Seriously, this film is a love letter of sorts to all the other Saw films (in its presentation and overall production), but it’s also a great deep dive into the mind of Jigsaw himself, John Kramer. No longer relegated to brief background musings and chime ins, Saw X firmly puts the spotlight on Kramer by truly exploring his twisted psyche. Set between the first and second films, this story really fleshes out the reason why Jigsaw does the ruthless things that he does. Plus, Tobin Bell plays the architect of controlled chaos to perfection, finally giving audiences a true taste of his superb acting chops. He’s not alone though, as we get to explore the oddly meaningful relationship between John and his apprentice in training, Shawnee Smith (who, herself provides a solid performance). As for the deadly “games,” well they are just as intense and brutal as the one’s prior. It’s all morally deranged of course, but that’s the franchise staple – and they nail it. Admittedly, things do take a bit to get started, and the trademark “twist” is kind of a headscratcher, but trust me when I tell you, Saw X is a blood-spatteringly good time. Yes, you’ll definitely want to play this game!