10 Upcoming Horror Movies Facing ONE Big Problem
8. The Franchise Can't Move Past John Kramer - Saw XI
It's nothing short of a miracle that Saw X turned out to be one of the very best Saw movies, slotting surprisingly neatly into the series' twisted chronology as an interquel taking place between the first and second films. And great though it was to see the legendary Tobin Bell give his most impactful and genuinely dramatic performance as killer John Kramer, it also illustrated an ongoing problem with the franchise - its inability to exist outside of Kramer's shadow.
The ninth Saw film, Spiral, tried and failed to shift the series away from focusing on Kramer, and its disappointing commercial performance led the producers to go back to Bell for another go-around. Saw X was a fun novelty for sure, but with Bell reportedly planning to return for the impending Saw XI, it doesn't indicate much of a willingness to address the simple fact that, sooner rather than later, the 82-year-old Bell is going to age out of the role one way or another.
The Saw series desperately needs to start thinking about its longer-term survival prospects without John Kramer by introducing a truly worthy successor to his mantle, whoever that might be.