10 Talking Points From Saw X

Saw X has hit the cinemas and entered the hearts of Saw fans worldwide. The film has glowing reviews and people are having nothing but wonderful things to say about the movie. I am also one of those many fans who enjoyed the latest instalment after being let down by the last few outings (Full Review Here). However, I like discussion and have a couple of points I would like to discuss from the movie. This is mostly timeline-based, with certain character developments instead of complaining about anything (for once).

THERE WILL BE FULL SPOILERS FOR SAW X.

10 Talking Points From Saw X

1 – Where Does It Fit in the Timeline

Saw X is the latest chapter in the franchise, but the question remains, where does it fit into the franchise? We get John and Amanda alive so that eliminates it being a sequel and must fit in before Saw 3. While using pure speculation, it is time to figure out where this fits into the timeline.

Is it before Saw 2? Well, I would like to think yes, because John is on air tanks during the events of Saw 2. That makes me think it is set before that movie, even if the twist in that movie is Amanda is an apprentice now.

What about the original Saw? I was thinking about this while watching and we get a scene looking at the bear trap drawings. However, the larger twist in the franchise is Doctor Gordon joining John. I would like to think John would consult with Gordon about any medical advice. Although I feel this movie takes place between John selecting Gordon and the actual game involved.

In conclusion, I see this movie taking place between the flashbacks and the game in Saw (2004). There is also another sign on this in the end credits, which will discuss a little bit later.

2 – Amanda

Amanda is the first character we learn has joined as an apprentice in Saw 2. Her character arc involves her becoming more psychotic when it comes to putting people into the games. She makes it so that even if you pass the test, you can’t survive the game.

As the events of Saw X unfold, we see John call on her to help collect the con artists. However, once the game starts, he is still teaching her about the reason the tests are created. There is a clear scene where Amanda hesitates to select a drug addict in Gabriela. While she makes it clear she wants to make the most out of punishing the other victims.

We already start to see the early signs that she is preparing to make the games in the favour of what she wants the outcome to be. This could also be hinted by the fact that the two games the player loses are only seconds away. It hints that Amanda has made the game more difficult than originally planned to make sure the victims don’t survive.

Again this is pure speculation, but a subtle clue to what is going to happen to her character in the future.

3 – Mid-Credit

There is a Mid-Credit scene where we see John tracking down another member of the con artist group who faked his surgery. He is joined in this scene by the returning Hoffman, whom we had only heard on the phone during the main film. We might not see the outcome of this game, but one thing that stands out is the location. It looks like it is in the original bathroom and could have been used to supply the blood stains for John to lay in for the original Saw twist. This also leads more to the idea that this movie is set before the game in the original Saw.

4 – Fake Out

There is a Fake-Out game in the movie which sees John watching someone steal from a hospital patient. However, when a man sees John, he puts the stolen goods back and has a small ‘good choice’ interaction. This shows that John plays the games in his head before forcing anyone into them. It gives us a sign that we can see him thinking and watching before making the final decision. However, this could have been a massive risk, because we haven’t ever seen a fake-out game before.

5 – Tied into Saw 6?

In Saw 6, the target for the latest game is an insurance company that refuses to help John. He wanted to head to Norway for an experimental procedure that the company refused to support. Now the question here, is whether this is for the procedure we saw in Saw X, or her father who is meant to still be doing honest work.

6 – The Jigsaw Killer Reputation

One thing that we don’t learn about until very late is the fact Cecilia realizes they are facing the Jigsaw killer. However, none of the other characters have a clue about what is going on. The question here is how contained the jigsaw reputation is becoming. Does his reputation travel to other countries or not? Or is this another sign of how not connected to the real world the other victims are?

7 – Puzzle Pieces

When Jigsaw was first being hunted down, one of his tendencies was to cut out a puzzle piece from his victims. However, as the franchise evolved this got dropped quickly, as the character changed from psychotic murderer to extreme teacher. It was one of the shocking disturbing factors behind the serial killer. This could have been brought back here, as an earlier game put into practice.

8 – Cecilia

Cecilia is the leader of the group and is put into the final game. However, her game becomes one of the easiest, where she must fight her business partner for an air hole. She survives the game watching John leave. The question is what happens next because John has left the evidence to get her locked away. Although, she could talk her way out of anything and could be brought back in the later instalment in the franchise now. Her game feels weak because she doesn’t have to put herself through anything and hasn’t learned the message about sacrifice either.

9 – Gabriela

One big factor about this movie is the fact we have fewer games than most of the previous movies. Gabriela is a drug addict put into a game where her arm and ankle are shackled with her dangling in the air. Her game requires her to break her bones to escape the chains. However, the question comes in the form of ‘what happens if she did the wrist first’. I know Cecilia suggests doing the ankle first, but if she did the wrist first, she could have fallen to the ground and potentially had more time.

10 – Where Do We Go Next?

With Saw X bringing back some of the series favourites in Amanda, John Kramer and Hoffman. The question comes what happens next? Do we continue in the limited time John has where he can connect with his other apprentices, or do we move in another direction? It feels like returning to the favourites brings back the fans and they sing the praise of the film.

That is 10 Talking Points From Saw X, which of the points would you like to talk about the most?