Saw X (2023)★★★★☆

Thankfully, any misgivings I originally had about this film were unwarranted. I mostly enjoyed it!

It was well paced - finally, a movie almost two hours long that DOESN’T feel slow! And I like Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith. And the other actors were all pretty good.

The traps were neat, the tension was real, the story made sense (as much as any of the Saw stories make sense).

But I don’t understand all these “prequel” or “direct sequel” films that are getting filmed upwards of 15 years after the original. I like Shawnee Smith, but she doesn’t quite look the same as she did in 2004. (Tobin Bell doesn’t either, but his condition deteriorating makes sense with the plot.)

I just had in mind Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp for much of the movie. No, no, it’s not that bad here or anything, it’s just…it feels weird and unnecessary.