Spoiler-Free Review of “Saw X” in Theaters: A Solid Entry to the Franchise

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“I’d like to play a game…”

Saw X released in theaters on September 29th 2023. The tenth film of the Saw franchise stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Renata Vaca, and Steven Brand. It runs for approximately an hour and fifty-eight minutes.

Taking place between the events of Saw and Saw II, John Kramer travels to Mexico to undergo experimental treatment, hoping to cure his cancer once and for all, but once he discovers that everything is a scam, he turns the tables on these con artists to teach them an important lesson about life and death.

Here is the trailer:

Saw X invites us back into the dangerous mind of Jigsaw with extreme gore and plenty of twists and turns to keep us guessing up until the end. Does the tenth film do the franchise justice? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

John Kramer and Amanda are back!

I’m a huge fan of the Saw franchise. I have very fond memories of waiting on lines out the door at the movie theater, anxiously waiting to watch each of these films on the big screen. The earlier films are the best of the franchise so I had high hopes when I learned that both John Kramer and Amanda would be featured in this entry and they delivered and then some!

It was very smart to have this film take place between Saw and Saw II, giving the audience the chance to gain back some nostalgia after some of the later films failed to deliver.

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

More gruesome than ever!

The games in this entry were beyond extreme. My skin was crawling during several moments. This film did not hold back with the blood and gore, reminding us that the Saw franchise knows how to make its audience squirm in the best way possible.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

Predictable at times…

I always enjoy the twists in Saw and this one had plenty, but a few of them I saw coming a mile away. This wasn’t necessarily a major con, but I guess I wanted a little bit more in this department.

Make sure you stick around for the end credit scene though!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Lionsgate

I’m in!!!

Twisted and gory with a solid story that brought us back to the beginning in a clever way!

While not my favorite film of the franchise, I think it put forth a valiant effort and reminded me why I fell in love with these films in the first place.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Saw X in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Forever Purge” in Theaters: Murder Ever After

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“The Purge can no longer be contained…”

The Forever Purge is the fifth film in the popular franchise. It takes place after the events in The Purge: Election Year. The NFFA has re-instated the Purge once again, as we follow a new set of characters in Texas. The film stars Ana de la Reguera, Josh Lucas, Tenoch Huerta, Cassidy Freeman and Leven Rambin. It runs for 103 minutes.

It’s no secret that I absolutely love The Purge franchise. I recently re-watched the four prior movies and I adored the short-lived television series, which ran for two seasons. I appreciate that the Purge always tries to do something different in each of its installments. 

In The Forever Purge, we are introduced to a couple who traveled from Mexico to the United States to find a better opportunity. It seems like things are going well for them until they experience their first Purge in America and all hell breaks loose as old rules are thrown out the window.

Here is the trailer:

The Forever Purge is rumored to be the last film in the franchise so the bar is set pretty high for this one. Does it deliver or does it pale in comparison to the other films? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Ana de la Reguera is bad-ass!

I love Frank Grillo as Leo Barnes in the Purge films so I needed someone like that to really kick some ass. I recently watched Ana de la Reguera in Army of the Dead, but she is the best part of The Forever Purge movie. The Purge may unleash the crazies, but you do not want to mess with her…

More please!

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

A new take on the Purge.

If you watched the trailers, then you know that this Purge is going to last well past Purge night. In the series, we explore the idea of life after the Purge and I appreciate that we always get something a little bit different in each film to prevent things from feeling stale and overdone.

In the first film, we focus on a home invasion, the second film brings us into the heart of the city, the third film explores true change, and the fourth film shows us the very start of the Purge.

In The Forever Purge, we learn what would happen if Purge night extends past that night. Chaos spreads quickly as the creation becomes completely untamed. I’m not sure that this is a fitting end for the franchise, but it was a different take on things. I also kind of really enjoyed the Western-Cowboy setting to change things up from the urban ones we are used to.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Don’t lose sight of what makes The Purge work…

The Purge is terrifying because it is something that could actually happen…

The world is a scary place and we witness horrible and unspeakable crimes every day. It wavers very close to reality and that’s what makes it frightening. We don’t need added jump scares. This just felt completely out of place. I also didn’t really like the day setting for the film because the terror unleashing at night had a more chilling impact in my opinion.

In addition, all of the Purge films are political in a lot of ways, but this film really pushed the envelope with that…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

I’m in!

Overall, I thought this film delivered and was highly entertaining. It brought plenty of action and brutal moments and it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. While there were some rough edges and inconsistencies, I thought this was a decent entry into the popular franchise and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Is this truly the end of The Purge franchise?

Well, it’s rumored to be, but I’m hopeful that The Purge will return and bring back my favorite character of the franchise. You never know… 

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Forever Purge in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My new young adult horror thriller comes out October 7th 2021! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!