Saw X Gets Official Rating

The upcoming Saw X is set to be the return of Tobin Bell as John Kramer, with the film officially earning an R rating that confirms it is a sequel that will be as bloody and brutal as any of its predecessors. The MPA delivered the film its R for “sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language, and some drug use.” While no one is expecting any entry into the Saw franchise to throttle its intensity for merely a PG-13 rating, the specific details of the film’s rating remind audiences of how unrelenting these films can be in their on-screen depictions of violence. Saw X is slated to hit theaters on September 29th.

Saw X is described, “John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most disturbing installment of the Saw franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s most personal game. Set between the events of Saw I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer — only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged, and ingenious traps.”

The original Saw was unleashed back in 2004, with the premise of being forced to make bodily sacrifices for the sake of overall survival immediately capturing the attention of audiences. The lo-fi nature of the premise allowed follow-up films to be developed on an annual basis, with new entries being released each year through 2010. 

Part of what complicated the overall nature of the premise was that Kramer definitively died, with Saw IV even including an autopsy of the character. Subsequent films featured appearances from Bell’s Kramer thanks to flashback sequences, often showcasing how the influence of the character confirmed connections either to the victims or to copycat killers. 

Bell would return to the franchise for 2017’s Jigsaw, which featured a number of sequences that were confirmed to have taken place before the events of the debut movie. In 2021, Spiral: From the Book of Saw marked the first entry to be entirely absent of Bell’s Kramer, even though the killer was inspired by Jigsaw.

Saw X is slated to hit theaters on September 29th.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!