One of horror's most well-known franchises is once again taking to the big screen, with a new Saw film due for release later this year.
The movie, called Saw X (yes, they have actually made ten of them), has already got people talking. And it's not just because everyone assumes that Elon Musk is somehow involved due to the title.
Previous films in the franchise have focussed on killer John Kramer (Tobin Bell), aka Jigsaw, and the inventive ways in which he torments and murders his various victims.
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The movies have become well-known for their extreme and unsettling gore, as well as the signature irony with which each victim is targeted. If you have a well-established character flaw, you can bet that Jigsaw will find a way to capitalise on it in a uniquely twisted and brutal way.
However, one major change has shifted the tone in the latest instalment of the franchise documenting the grisly goings-on.
Rather than a distant and horrifying figure, the tone of the killer has been shifted to paint him in a more sympathetic light.
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In fact, director Kevin Greutert has confirmed Saw X makes Kramer the 'hero'.
The trailer for the film shows that the latest group of unfortunates to feel the calculated wrath of Jigsaw are a group of medical professionals.
Kramer isn't very well, and needs medical attention to prologue his life so he can complete his 'work' before he kicks the hypodermic needle filled bucket. Presumably that means more ironic murders.
But it transpires that the medics claiming to offer Kramer more time were in fact taking him for a ride. Needless to say, Kramer is not one to pass up the opportunity to inflict some carefully planned agony on some hapless victims.
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One does wonder how he finds time to plan everything.
However, there are concerns that the new direction that the character is taking could depart from the more traditional villain aspect that Jigsaw has epitomised in the past.
Kramer may be a character that can on some level be sympathised with, but Screenrant has argued that turning him into an 'antihero' could put the premise of the Saw franchise at risk.
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The original Saw's ending reveals that Kramer is forcing people to play his twisted games because he's dying of an inoperable brain tumour and wants people to feel more appreciation for being alive, Screenrant notes.
But despite Kramer's victims often being morally flawed themselves, Kramer is still a monster. It argues that painting him as an antihero might dilute how horrifying and terrifying he has been as a villain.
Sometimes, you just want a good old fashioned villain.
Saw X will be available to watch in cinemas on 27 October.
Topics: TV and Film
Kit Roberts