Summary
- Saw X puts the original villain John Kramer in the spotlight, posing risks to the franchise's success.
- The movie portrays John as the "hero," which could change how audiences perceive his story and the franchise as a whole.
- While John Kramer is a sympathetic character, turning him into an anti-hero may not be the right move and risks reframing his entire arc.
Saw X puts villain John Kramer (Tobin Bell) front and center, which poses some unexpected risks to the horror franchise. The original Saw is the definition of an unexpected success, with the film being shot on a small budget and intended to go straight to video. Director James Wan's debut was so visceral and intense that it not only overcame its meager origin, it launched a long-lasting series and inspired a whole new horror subgenre. Of course, had Saw been designed with sequels in mind, producers probably wouldn't have made their lead villain Jigsaw/John Kramer terminally ill.
movie franchise attempted soft reboots with both Jigsaw and Chris Rock's Spiral, but both met with lukewarm critical and commercial receptions. In short, the franchise missed John Kramer, who will be the main focus of Saw X.
Saw X Making John Kramer A “Hero” Could Change How Audiences View His Story
Saw X is a midquel and is set between Saw and Saw II. It sees John head to Mexico to undertake an experimental medical procedure that could save his life. After undergoing the surgery, he learns it did nothing and was just a scam, so he kidnaps the fraudsters and puts them through a very personal series of games. After two lackluster Saw sequels, it's genuinely great to have Bell back as Jigsaw, with the actor bringing real menace and pathos to the character. That said, director Kevin Greutert has confirmed Saw X makes John the "hero," which is a slippery slope for the franchise.
While Jigsaw is one of the more sympathetic horror icons, he's still a monster. Some of his victims in Saw may have committed evil acts, but many of them were - at worst - a little morally dubious. Examples include Leigh Whannell's photographer Adam from the original movie, and regardless of their faults, few deserved their cruel fates. Saw X making John more of a righteous vigilante and turning him into an anti-hero sounds like an intriguing direction on paper, but it could be the wrong move for the franchise.
How John Kramer Can Be Saw X’s Hero & Still The Franchise’s Villain
Saw X could be seen as the final chapter for Kramer as a character, and setting up this particular series of games finds him at a crossroads. Had the surgery succeeded, he might have put the games behind him, but the fact it was a scam might be what pushes him to dedicate his remaining days to being Jigsaw. If Saw X frames the story that way, it could work that John becomes the "hero" of the movie.
If the sequel proves to be a hit, producers could opt to make yet another film with Kramer set before his death that continues the idea he wasn't such a bad guy. That would be a mistake, and risks reframing his entire arc as more of a heroic one. Hopefully, when Saw X comes to a close, the story makes it clear that John is no misunderstood hero.
