“Saw 10”: why watch the new part of the horror franchise

In October, the new Saw was released digitally. Unlike the unsuccessful Saw 8 and Saw: Spiral, both critics and audiences liked the new film: on Rotten Tomatoes it achieved an unprecedented freshness rating of 79% for the franchise. Box office receipts reached $78 million against a budget of only $13 million.

“Saw 10” ​​is a direct continuation of the first part, released in 2004. It was directed by young directors James Wan and Leigh Whannell. “Saw: Game of Survival,” although it was a low-budget project, was able to hook viewers with its atmosphere, reminiscent of thrillers of the 90s: an oppressive feeling of doom, closed space and a persistent feeling that there is no happy ending here will.

After the first film, which grossed $103 million, nine more parts followed. All of them are in one way or another connected with John Kramer, the architectmaniac, nicknamed "Saw" and dying of brain cancer. He killed people with a variety of deadly trap mechanisms - you could get out of them, but in return you had to sacrifice something (most often - part of your body). Since the fourth film, John's followers have been at the center of the plot.

Saw 10 is not your typical horror film. The creators managed to reimagine the franchise, while maintaining its distinctive features and style in the process. The result is one of the best parts of this illustrious horror-series. Below are five good reasons why you (sometimes covering your eyes) should watch one of the most violent films of this year.

1. A new take on the franchise—risky and successful

One of the main differences between the tenth part and the previous ones is a radical change in the approach to history. Now the focus of the plot is not detectives, investigating the murders, not the unfortunate victims caught in traps, but the maniac John Kramer himself and his personal life tragedy.

The architect, weakening every day, tries to find a way to defeat a fatal disease and decides to undergo an experimental operation, which takes place in the suburbs of Mexico City. However, dishonest doctors deceive Kramer and try to escape with the money they received from him. John, of course, can’t just leave it like that, so he forces the scammers to take part in his game of survival.

To arrange a similar scenario stunt for an almost 20-year-old franchises - an extremely bold move. After all, the rejection of the usual formula did not always have a positive effect on the opinion of the mass audience and the further fate of the film. But here it worked: watching the hero, for the first time fully at the center of the story, is interesting (although we already know his future fate from the sequels).

Although John Kramer is a murderer and a sadist, in the tenth Saw he appears as an old man tormented by illness, whom at some point one becomes sincerely sorry for. And this is the main merit of the creators of the film, who decided to turn the image of their main protagonist upside down.

The long dramatic introduction here is strikingly different from the typical Saw, which usually immediately plunges the audience headlong into cruel spectacle. This change of pace allowed us to see John as a real person, and not a merciless monster.

2. This is an unusual horror about an avenger hero

“Saw 10” ​​changed not only its plot structure, but also its style. If earlier films resembled detective stories mixed with “torture porn,” then the new part is almost a revenge thriller, in which the main character punishes criminals with their own hands.

In this regard, the film is close in spirit to the popular film “Death Wish” in the 70s with the famous Hollywood actor Charles Bronson, where the hero (by the way, also an architect) administered his own justice on the streets of the city with weapons hands.

The idea of ​​first turning a maniac into a victim and then into a vigilante hero turned out to be truly refreshing. The viewer spends the entire film watching a methodically implemented plan of retribution, in which Kramer still leaves his victims a chance for salvation.

3. There is a lot of old and not at all good ultra-violence here.

The tenth “Saw” could not do without sophisticated traps, which have long become symbols of the entire series. The main feature of the new tests turned out to be their similarity to surgical operations, which fully corresponds to the villainous irony of John Kramer.

Vacuum tubes that suck out the victim's eyes, an electric shock mask, a wire saw that easily passes through bones, and a huge irradiator, burning a man alive - the diabolical machines here still make an impression, even if they look a bit small to fans secondary.

Viewers who don't perceive violence well watch all this self-harm they can hardly. The creators do not skimp on close-ups, do not move the camera to the side and are not shy about showing the most “colorful” moments. In this sense, the tenth “Saw” has not lost its trademark cruelty at all.

4. You can watch Saw 10 even if you know nothing about the franchise

It is not at all necessary to get acquainted with the other parts to understand the plot of the new “Saw” - the picture tells its own and very simple story.

Yes, there are easter eggs and unexpected ones. cameo, which will delight fans of the franchise. You especially shouldn't miss the post-credits scene—it hints at the direction the series might be headed next. But a viewer who does not understand the plot twists and turns of this universe will not lose much. Therefore, the tenth part is the most suitable way to immerse yourself in the crazy world of John Kramer.

If you want to understand the references in the film, you can only watch the first Saw - that will be enough.

5. You won't see this anywhere else

Today, almost every month, many horror films are released, constantly trying to surprise the viewer. But during this time, “Saw” did not have any full-fledged analogues. Of the similar projects, one can only highlight “The Squid Game,” but the Netflix show has a completely different tone and style, and the meaning of the tests is different.

So Saw 10 still provides a unique experience that modern horror films cannot provide. Traps, audiotapes, scenes that make you turn away from the screen, and a doll riding a bicycle - in all of this has its own rough, gloomy and extremely pessimistic style that continues to fascinate ruthlessness.

The new “Saw” turned out to be a pleasant surprise amid the stream of remakes and unsuccessful reinventions. A film suddenly appeared on the horizon, completely unashamed of its bloodthirsty past, extremely old-fashioned message and cynicism. As if something still alive and breathing appeared before my eyes ghost from the crazy 2000s - a time when horror films did not try to pretend to be high art, but simply shocked and entertained the viewer, relying on clip aesthetics and shockingness.

Most likely, another “Saw” series awaits us in the near future. It seems that after the tenth film, the creators should continue to experiment with the series. The authors have on their hands the example of “Saw 10” ​​- clear proof that even when on the verge of death, a franchise can be revived. John Kramer himself would be very pleased with this outcome.