CHEAP THRILLS certainly lives up to its title, but I thought it failed to really offer anything besides increasingly grim stakes and a nihilistic worldview. Make no mistake, with the the exception of Sara Paxton (who really doesn't do too much talking anyway), the movie is well-acted. David Koechner is the standout, and he does a sort-of twisted version of his comic persona here. The movie is also well-made on a technical level, and is actually quite restrained in terms of gore. Granted, the movie isn't trying to be anything profound, but I've seen so much "torture porn" by this point, that I suppose I've become numb to it. This movie just didn't hit me in the way I thought it might. The best part of the movie is learning that all the events that transpired were part of a sick bet between a husband and wife. Everything else was just too familiar, and a little underwhelming. Overall, I thought it was a slight waste of my time, although fans of indie horror might get more enjoyment out of it than I did. My advice is to get your kicks elsewhere.
Review of Cheap Thrills
