Saw X: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Deadly Traps

Have you fully recovered from Saw X? Great, because now is the perfect opportunity to delve into the most gruesome scenes and meticulously analyze every terrifying and ingenious trap featured in the film.

The Reverse Bear Trap, The Needle Pit, The Rack, The Pound of Flesh - these names alone are enough to induce spine-tingling fear in any devoted follower of the Saw series.

Producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules, in a previous interview with Dexerto, mentioned that Saw X would revisit the less complex yet terrifying traps from the early movies. True to their word, the film delivers some of its most brutal traps to date. In this article, we will provide a detailed explanation of each trap, in the order they appear in the film. Please be aware, major spoilers for Saw X lie ahead.

Eye Vacuum Trap

In the early promotional material for Saw X, you may recall the haunting image of a hapless individual whose eyes are connected to suctioning devices. This terrifying contraption is known as the Eyeball Vacuum Trap, ensnaring a hospital janitor with a penchant for pilfering. But it's not all fun and games for this cleaner; in order to spare his eyes from being forcibly removed, he must simply rotate a dial five times. However, there's a twist: his hand is bound to a complex apparatus, and with each turn of the dial, his fingers suffer excruciating snaps.

Regrettably, the pain becomes unbearable for him, resulting in the gruesome removal of his eyeballs. Surprisingly, in an early plot twist, Saw X discloses that this entire scene exists solely in Kramer's imagination. Once it concludes, we witness the hospital cleaner making the honorable decision to return the patient's belongings to their designated drawer. Exiting the room, Kramer acknowledges the cleaner's commendable choice.

Pipe Bomb Trap

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Diego, the taxi driver, is the first target in the firing line as he is involved in a scam that deceives Kramer into giving away $250,000 for a supposed "miracle" cure for his cancer. Once Kramer realizes he has been tricked, he devises a series of malicious games to teach the fraudsters a lesson.

In Diego's case, he wakes up to discover that he is bound and has scalpels taped to his hands. Upon cutting the rope around his chest with the scalpels, a three-minute timer is activated, thus commencing the game.

During those three minutes, he must skillfully wield the scalpels to remove two pipe bombs that have been strategically placed within his forearms. Amidst a harrowing and gruesome battle, Diego successfully wrenches out the second pipe bomb, aided by his teeth, swiftly kicking it aside moments before their simultaneous detonation.

In his idiosyncratic manner, Kramer effectively displays his compassionate side upon realizing Diego's survival. He promptly fetches a medical kit and offers reassurance, affirming that Diego will recuperate.

Bone Marrow Trap

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Next in line is Valentina, who poses as a nurse but is actually involved in the sex industry. She was supposed to receive a large sum of money for her part in a scheme to scam Kramer. However, her plans are abruptly interrupted when she is coerced into participating in a game called Valentina's Bone Marrow Trap. This game is witnessed by Dr. Cecilia Pederson, Gabriela, and Mateo, among others.

This particular game is likely to provoke the strongest emotional response, as Valentina is presented with two gruesome options. The first choice is incredibly grim: she must amputate her entire leg from the upper thigh using a Gigli saw wire. Afterward, she must insert a bone marrow suction device into the resulting wound and extract enough marrow to activate the release of a key, which will grant her freedom.

However, the alternative is death. You see, she is tightly secured within a frame, with another cutting wire positioned towards her neck. If she fails to extract an adequate amount of bone marrow within the given three minutes, the frame withdraws and severs her head.

Witnessing her painstakingly maneuvering the Gigli saw back and forth, as it tears through her own flesh, induces strong feelings of nausea. The same unsettling sensation persists when she begins the process of suctioning the marrow from her bone. Despite successfully amputating her entire leg, Valentina runs out of time in the final seconds, and as a result, she is decapitated, becoming the inaugural fatality in Saw X.

Brain Surgery Trap

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As one of the key players in the Kramer scam, Mateo doesn't escape easily in his own game. The trailer shows him being brought before the other participants in a contraption with two components attached to his head and several wires resembling a crown on top.

Then, Billy the Puppet makes a dramatic entrance, pushing in a set of surgical tools and one of the infamous Saw tape players. The tape explains that Mateo must drill into his own skull and remove a piece of gray matter, also known as a part of his brain. After completing this task, he must immerse the sample in a container of acid, causing a reaction that will produce enough weight to trigger the release of a key, thus granting Mateo his freedom.

Mateo, who masquerades as an anesthesiologist but is actually a drug dealer, is informed by Kramer that he will not be permitted to use any anesthetic for his personal brain surgery. Kramer asserts that staying alert is crucial.

Similar to Valentina's trap, viewers are subjected to a harrowing scene as Mateo successfully drills into his skull and dissects his own brain. Additionally, like Valentina, he narrowly misses the three-minute time limit. As a result, the contraption closes tightly, forming a mask resembling a Mexican statue seen earlier in the film, but with scorching hot filaments on the inside. Mateo's head is seared, causing him to scream out in agony before succumbing to death, marking him as the second victim.

Radiation Therapy Trap

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Gabriela finds herself ensnared in a grim predicament, confronting a harsh reality endured by many battling cancer: radiation therapy. However, her circumstances are far from ordinary as she is physically restrained by chains, suspending her in mid-air, while the radiation device ruthlessly targets her face at an intensified level.

Initially set to a standard intensity, Gabriela is informed that in order to liberate herself from the chains, she must employ a tool placed before her to break her hand and foot. Failure to do so would result in a lethal dose of radiation. Initially hesitant to comply, the machine intensifies, inflicting painful burns upon her face.

Eventually, she relentlessly strikes at her foot, successfully freeing herself from the restraints and evading the deadly radiation beams. Though she pauses briefly to recover her breath, the apparatus swiftly readjusts its position, leaving her with limited time to liberate her hand.

Following a harrowing struggle, she finally breaks free and collapses onto the ground, emerging as the victor of Jigsaw's twisted game. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of destiny, Dr. Cecilia Pederson later gains the upper hand against Kramer and his accomplice, Amanda Young, resulting in her mercilessly killing Gabriela to deliver a poignant message. Rest assured, however, she ultimately faces the consequences for her actions.

Blood Waterboarding Trap

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Cecilia successfully overpowers Kramer and Amanda, with the assistance of her boyfriend Parker Sears, who we later discover has been involved in the scam all along. To ensure her control over the situation, Cecilia forces Kramer to participate in a final game. Additionally, she involves a young local boy who had formed a friendship with Kramer earlier.

Both Kramer and Amanda are bound to the floor of a platform, their necks restrained by chains. Their only means of escape is a lever placed next to them, though Kramer specifically warns the boy not to pull it. As the platform elevates, two pistons descend, causing blood to spurt out, effectively subjecting them to a form of waterboarding, but with actual blood.

Kramer advises the boy against pulling the lever because it would cause the other person's platform to rise, distancing them from the blood river. Essentially, Kramer wants to protect the boy and is willing to sacrifice himself. Taking matters into his own hands, he pulls the lever to enable the boy to breathe. However, upon realizing the situation, the boy decides to reciprocate the favor, leading to a back-and-forth exchange as they both strive to save each other.

Meanwhile, Cecilia and Parker search for the money they earned through their fraudulent scheme. They believe it is located upstairs in the room where Kramer has been vigilantly overseeing the game. Unbeknownst to them, this triggers the start of the actual final game, bringing the Blood Waterboarding Trap to an end. Consequently, Amanda is able to release Kramer and the boy, freeing them from their predicament.

Burning Gas Chamber Trap

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The Burning Gas Chamber Trap is the final challenge, triggered when Cecilia removes the Piggy costume from the cabinet, thinking it holds the money. Once she and Parker are inside, the room locks and fills with burning gas.

Regarding Kramer's advantage over the duo, it is revealed that Diego had informed him beforehand about Parker's involvement in the scam and his relationship with Cecilia. In an earlier scene, Cecilia briefly obtains a phone and attempts to make a call, but Amanda interrupts and disconnects the call upon seeing Parker's name in the call history.

Knowing that the pair would ultimately search for the money, Kramer devised a plan to make them believe they had trapped him, only to deceive them in the end.

As panic started to take over the couple, they discovered a hole in the wall through which they could breathe fresh air. However, it was only big enough for one person. Kramer declared that only one of them could survive, leading Cecilia and Parker to engage in a brutal fight for their lives. Eventually, Cecilia emerged victorious, overpowering Parker and ultimately stabbing him with a blade. She then stuck her head out of the wall, triumphant.

Saw X concludes with Kramer, Amanda, and the boy exiting the room and exchanging a glance with Cecilia, suggesting that she will remain trapped there indefinitely. While her death is not explicitly shown, the implication is that she is permanently confined. However, in the realm of Saw films, one can never be certain - there is always a possibility she may resurface in the future. 

Scar Tissue Trap

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Surprise! Just when you thought the last game was over, there's one more twist waiting for you in the post-credits scene. Brace yourself for the movie's most shocking revelation as we witness the unexpected return of Henry Kessler – the character Kramer crosses paths with at the beginning of Saw X during a cancer support group. Their paths intertwine once again, and Henry introduces Kramer to the Pederson Project, crediting it for saving his life. To further emphasize the impact of this "miracle" treatment, Henry bares his stomach, revealing a prominent scar - a testament to the life-saving powers of the project that sent him into remission.

Guess what? He was also involved in the scam, and it can be confidently stated that he doesn't escape the consequences of his deceit. In the post-credits scene, Henry is depicted hanging in mid-air, connected to a contraption equipped with a succession of menacing blades that rotate ominously towards his abdomen. However, the most shocking revelation is the presence of Mark Hoffman, Jigsaw's former apprentice from previous Saw films, accompanying Kramer.

The scene fades to darkness before the outcome for Henry is revealed, but it's safe to assume it's anything but pleasant.

Saw X is in cinemas now. You can check out more of our coverage below: