19 years ago, James Wan’s Saw became a surprising hit for Lionsgate and a meaningful propeller for the 2000s cycle of torture porn horror films. Since then, that grisly subgenre has fallen far out of fashion, and Lionsgate is in a potentially pivotal moment where it is hoping to rejuvenate past successes. Both Saw X and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are prequels; this is fitting, given the studio is looking backwards to its most profitable franchises in an attempt at similar box office success.

The trajectory of the Saw franchise, aside from being packed with lore rendered nearly incomprehensible due to sequel ret-conning and increasingly inane plot twists, has its ups and downs. After Continue reading Saw X (2023) Movie Review →