Summary
- Tobin Bell’s character, John Kramer, will be the protagonist for the first time in the upcoming sequel Saw X, marking a shift in the franchise’s storytelling.
- Saw X takes place between the first and second movies, allowing for the possibility of bringing back John Kramer despite his character being dead in Saw canon.
- The film presents John Kramer as a more sympathetic character and portrays him as a hero who seeks to turn the tables on con artists using sadistic traps.
While Tobin Bell has long been an important part of the Saw franchise, his character will be introduced as the protagonist for the first time with the upcoming sequel Saw X. In the original Saw movie, released in 2004, the big twist at the end revealed that it was cancer patient John Kramer (Bell) who’d orchestrated the deadly game carried out by a methodical madman known as “Jigsaw.” The character would be killed off in the coming sequels, but copycat killers would continue his work with their own similarly-sadistic traps.
With Saw X, the series is going back to its roots by setting the story in between the first and second movies. This was necessary as the only way of plausibly bringing back Bell’s John Kramer, given how long the character has been dead in Saw canon. The film also presents Jigsaw as much more sympathetic to the point where viewers are intended to look at him as a “hero.” This is according to cinematographer Nick Matthews, who reportedly said as much at Midsummer Scream 2023 in California, per The Direct.
“John is absolutely… the protagonist in this movie,” he said. “He is a man who’s ill. He’s a guy who was looking to extend his life. And in this process of him thinking, he’s getting his life extended, sh*t goes down. There it is, but he’s absolutely the hero of this movie.”
Matthews continued, “He’s in this movie… [I haven’t] done the math, but probably [more than] the last six or seven movies combined. This is his movie… This is John Kramer’s story as a human, not as Jigsaw–we’ll get there, trust me, but as a human, and like, you know, his fears and what’s going on in his life at the time.”
Will John Kramer’s Killings Be Justified in Saw X?
A synopsis released by Lionsgate further adds some context as to why John Kramer is the hero in Saw X. In the movie, John ” travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer uses deranged and ingenious traps to turn the tables on the con artists.”
In any case, Bell couldn’t be more thrilled to return as John Kramer. In a video shown to guests as Midsummer Scream, which was recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Bell teased his return while noting his appreciation for the fans who’ve supported him in the role for nearly two full decades.
“I’m back,” Bell said. “For almost 20 years, I have had the privilege of being part of the groundbreaking Saw legacy. And I’m moved by how dedicated the fans, fans like you, have been through every Saw chapter, and I’m thrilled for you all to experience the 10th installment of Saw. It’s John Kramer’s most personal game yet.”
Saw X will be released in movie theaters on Sept. 29, 2023, directly against the animated movie PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
