Who does Shawnee Smith play in Saw X? 

Shawnee Smith will reprise her role of Amanda Young in the upcoming installment of the Saw franchise. This character has appeared in Saw, Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, Saw 3D, and Jigsaw so far. Initially, Young was a minor character but as years went by, she became the serial killer Jigsaw's right-hand woman. She is presented as the tertiary antagonist in the film series.

Apart from Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young, Saw X will star Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw, Costas Mandylor as Mark Hoffman, Synnøve Macody Lund as Dr. Cecilia Pederson, Renata Vaca as Gabriela, Octavio Hinojosa as Matteo, Steven Brand and Michael Beach. It will be released on September 29, 2023 worldwide.

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Shawnee Smith will play Amanda Young in the latest installment of Saw

Shawnee Smith's Amanda Young started her Saw journey as yet another victim of John Kramer aka Jigsaw. In Saw (2004), the Jigsaw Killer abducted Amanda to a warehouse and trapped her in a "reverse bear trap." The room also had a supposedly dead cellmate under heavy sedation.

According to the instructions, she had to extract the key to the trap from her cellmate's belly. Although she was hesitant, Young killed the sedated man and took the key from his stomach. She freed herself and became one of the first and few survivors of Jigsaw.

As time passed, she got addicted to drugs, and John Kramer found her. This time, they got close and began working together. They set up traps and killed people. They believed that they were punishing people who were guilty of wrongdoings.

Since Saw X is set between the first and the second film, she has a major role to play in the entire story. Jigsaw depends on her, and she views him as a father figure. She believes that the man saved her when she lost all hope.

Fans of the franchise are aware that Young eventually dies. However, the new film is more like a prequel, so her heavy involvement is inevitable.

In an interview with Bloody Disgusting!, Shawnee Smith described her experience of being held in the brutal Reverse Bear Trap. She said,

"No, I mean, I made it work for it. What was hard is that the thing was super heavy and crudely made, and it was loose on my head. I had to hold it in place. I mean, there’s only one way to do a Saw movie, and that’s balls to the wall."

Shawnee Smith further stated,

"If you do any trap … I remember watching Mpho [Koaho, ‘Timothy Young’ in Saw III] on the trap where it twisted his limbs and then finally twisted his head. Watching him do that scene was just like ultimate horror film acting."

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Saw X synopsis

According to Lionsgate, the synopsis of Saw X reads,

"Set between the events of Saw and Saw II, a sick and desperate John Kramer 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."

It continues,

"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."

Kevin Greutert directed Saw X. It will be released worldwide on September 29, 2023.