Saw X has just set a new record for the franchise ahead of its cinema debut.
The latest instalment in the John Kramer aka Jigsaw torture saga has earned mostly positive first reviews, becoming the only Saw movie to have a fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, where it currently has a critic rating of 82% from 38 reviews.
Though the score could change once more reviews get published, landing an early positive RT rating was no easy feat for the sequel given its predecessors didn't exactly wow critics and moviegoers alike.
Related: New Saw X clip reveals grim "eye vacuum" trap
Before Saw X came along, James Wan's Saw was the highest-rating film in the franchise. The first chapter, released in 2004, has a meagre critic score of 50%, with other Saw movies such as Saw V and Saw: The Final Chapter going as low as 13% and 9%, respectively.
Directed by Kevin Greutert (also behind the camera for Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter), Saw X marks the return of sadistic protagonist Kramer, played by Tobin Bell.
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Set only a few weeks after the events of the first Saw, this tenth instalment sees Kramer unleash his most brutal instincts onto a new group of selected victims.
Related: The entire Saw movie franchise timeline in chronological order
At this point in the Saw timeline, Kramer knows he's got terminal cancer. With months to live, he resorts to a supposedly miraculous cure in Mexico which fans of the saga know won't work.
When he learns the cure is nothing but a scam, Kramer's new revenge plan is set in motion with the help of Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), returning from the first movie.
Saw X is set to be released in cinemas on September 29.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
