I watched all of the Saw films this year because a friend asked me to. This marathon was made possible by the sad truth that, finally, all of the Saw films were available with audio description on Netflix. Mind you, this franchise has been going on for quite a while. The fact that this was somehow a momentous occasion in 2026 is just another reminder of the entertainment industry’s lackadaisical approach to accessibility.

Saw X, being the most recent entry in the franchise, had audio description for its theatrical release. But as someone who had previously only seen the first two films, I had no real desire to jump straight to the tenth movie. Who would? If someone told you they had only seen the first two Fast and Furious films, would you expect them to suddenly watch the tenth? If I had wanted to stay involved with the franchise, I would have stayed involved with the franchise.

Part of the problem is that I am not a big fan of gore, and Saw is essentially a festival of torture. In some of these films, there is a plot that serves the violence. In others, there is no plot, and the violence serves nothing. So, I did not know what to expect from Saw X. Oddly enough, I think I got the best film in the franchise. That does not necessarily mean Saw X is the stuff of legend. I still believe the original Saw has one of the best endings in film history, and there are definitely creative moments scattered throughout the other films in the series. But as a cohesive movie, Saw X is actually really good. It is better than it has any right to be. I believe it is the lone entry in the franchise to be considered Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and it deserves to be.

The film brings us back to John Kramer, correcting the mistake of trying to follow so many other people carrying on the Jigsaw legacy. It accomplishes this by making Saw X a prequel. We see John dealing with his cancer diagnosis and seeking out a radical experimental therapy that he hopes could cure him. Unfortunately, he discovers that the entire operation is a scam. These people did not know who they were pulling one over on, because the last person you want to screw over is a serial killer.

John Kramer uses the particular set of skills he has gathered over a lifetime, collects the people involved in the scheme, and puts them through a series of Jigsaw traps. And yes, he has help from some familiar faces. What is interesting is that his biggest opponent, the doctor behind the operation, spends much of the film defiantly staring him down. She believes she is somehow going to get out of this. She believes she might actually be one step ahead of John Kramer.

That is where Saw X becomes fun. The twists and turns keep things interesting and surprisingly playful. Of course, Jigsaw has to come out on top. This movie takes place before several other films in the franchise, so unless Saw X suddenly launches us into the Jigsaw Multiverse, we already know he survives. If you think that is a spoiler, I would suggest using common sense.

The fun is in watching how John is challenged and how he manages to punish the people who would dare take hope away from those who have nothing left but hope. So, yes. Saw X is surprisingly good. I do not understand it either. I do not understand how we got ten movies deep into this franchise and suddenly somebody figured out how to make a good Saw movie. A film with an actual plot. Actual characters. Actual acting. And, yes, all the gore that fans of the franchise have come to expect.

So many Saw films are focused on traps and making a bloody mess of things that they forget they are supposed to be movies. Saw X, however, spends quite a bit of time establishing its story before anyone is strapped into an elaborate torture device. It does not begin by immediately throwing traps at the audience. It believes the audience will be patient enough to follow John Kramer on this journey.

I was actually glad to follow him because, finally, it felt like someone understood that a movie needs a plot. You cannot just dangle shiny keys in front of a toddler for two hours. I am not a toddler. I do not like your shiny keys. I prefer something substantial.

The audio description here is fantastic, as are, honestly, the tracks for the entire Saw franchise. These films give audio describers the unusual opportunity to describe some truly horrific things in bloody detail, and Saw X certainly gives its track plenty to work with. There are plenty of traps, plenty of gore, and plenty of horrifying details for the audio description to deliver in delicious fashion. I surprisingly enjoyed Saw X, and as it concludes my run through the franchise, it feels strange to put it in the same echelon as the original film. I always assumed the first Saw was the best. The original is always supposed to be the best movie in a horror franchise, right? Well, that is not necessarily the case here. The first Saw has the more memorable ending, but when it comes to being a coherently structured film from beginning to end, I think Saw X might actually have the edge.

If you gave up on the Saw franchise somewhere along the way, you are forgiven. But Saw X might be worth a look if you abandoned the franchise along the way.

Fresh: 7.6/10