Since the birth of the horror genre, the representation of the 'victim' has opened a discourse about misogyny and xenophobia in film.
Portrayals of women and people of colour in horror films have seemingly solidified them as the 'victims' of their knife-baring counterparts. Janet Leigh's infamous shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and Shelley Duvall's gut-wrenching performance in The Shining (1980) both conform to this narrative of female victimisation. Similarly, the overuse of racial tropes within horror films has raised countless debates and even led to the introduction of subgenres such as 'Blaxploitation'.
However, in recent years, these representations have shifted, with more female and POC characters developing a taste for violence and bloodshed.
Saw X, the tenth film in the long-running Saw franchise, feeds into this changing narrative with the return of the murderous Amanda Young. Set between Saw (2004) and Saw II (2005), Saw X takes us back to John Kramer's cancer diagnosis and his desperate search for a cure.
More female and POC characters have developed a taste for violence and bloodshed in recent years
Appearing in the first instalment Saw (2004) as the only surviving victim of John 'Jigsaw' Kramer, Amanda Young makes an appearance in Saw X as his apprentice, working alongside Kramer to help trap and torture his newest set of victims, a group of con-artists who falsely promised him a cure from his terminal illness.
But what does the return of Amanda Young say about the changing attitudes towards women in horror films?
I believe that Young's development from 'victim' to 'predator' presents a unique female perspective rarely covered in horror. From being introduced as the 'drug-addict' victim at the start of the franchise, and since gaining her 'scream queen' status, Amanda's character development subverts the over-used cliché of 'the only survivor' and provides a whole new avenue for female representation in horror films. Instead of succumbing to her trauma, Young sees Kramer's intervention as an opportunity to overcome her drug addiction and find a new lease of life, striving towards a new goal of becoming Jigsaw's successor.
Of course, things eventually came to a grisly end for Amanda, but that by no means dampens her status as the ultimate 'scream queen.'
Historically, women in horror films, specifically those of the 'torture porn' genre have been subject to two main forms of representation: 'the victim' or the 'sexual object.' These portrayals have led some people to believe that the horror genre is inherently misogynistic.
Racial depictions in horror films have also faced controversy in the past, with many POC characters being 'secondary' to the (generally) white protagonists, or simply just their victims.
But is this really the case in 'Saw X'?
The latest misadventures of John Kramer see him trap and torture Dr. Pederson and the rest of her 'medical team.' The victims are forced to amputate limbs and mutilate their bodies at the chance of survival, only to be brutally murdered at the last minute as revenge for their dishonesty.
The majority of the victims, 'Valentina', 'Mateo', 'Diego', 'Gabriela' and 'Carlos', are Hispanic or Latin American. While the racial profiles of these victims seem irrelevant to the context of the film, it could be said that they reinforce xenophobic attitudes or negative stereotypes of Latin Americans being 'untrustworthy' or 'criminal.'
Is it really such a negative thing to see more varied representations in horror film
While I don't believe that John Kramer views race or culture as a motive for his murderous misconduct, having trapped and tortured individuals of all genders and colours in the past, I can see how a full victim list of Latin Americans could raise eyebrows.
Still, is it really such a negative thing to see more varied representations in horror films, even if they do come to gruesome ends?
Overall, I think Saw X is a step in the right direction when it comes to the 'torture porn' subgenre of horror. The reintroduction of a 'fan favourite' female villain and the diverse cast of victims seems to deviate from the well-established tropes of women and POC in horror films.
So, whilst Saw X may put the 'S' in 'Gruesome', I don't think it should be labelled as misogynistic or xenophobic.
