I have seen this movie 3 or 4 times now. There are movies that see once and think "that was pretty good". Especially when dealing with low budget horror, there are tons of options out there on streaming sites any more. You get so used to seeing complete garbage on a regular basis, that there are times you encounter something above average and overvalue it, mainly because it was better than you expected. Typically, though, you watch that same movie a second time and find yourself wondering exactly what you saw in it the first time around. This is NOT one of those movies. Even though the initial shock is gone, the surprise of what will happen next is ruined, the movie still keeps you entertained, that's when you know you have a great movie.
Brittany Snow is a young woman taking care of her younger brother, who's dealing with cancer. The movie does a good job of using the introductory moments to introduce us to the woman, her connection with her brother, the reasons she has been left with the burden and the struggles that she is dealing with and it does all of that with an absolute leanness and effectiveness. It leads up to her being introduced to Jeffrey Combs, a rich guy offering a deal. She is invited to a dinner party, where they will play a game. The winner get enough money to eliminate all of their life's problems that the promise that her brother will get his transplant within days.
The party includes Snow and Combs, along with The Penguin from GOTHAM as a spoiled rich kid son of Combs. Crabman from MY NAME IS EARL is one of the participants, along with the dad from HOME ALONE, June Squib in a wheelchair, one of the TRAILER PARK BOYS as a gambler, a war vet, a goth girl with a bad attitude and a generic "good guy". The party starts off intriguingly, with Combs offering a vegetarian cash to eat meat and an alcoholic money to drink booze. We see that he's getting people to make choices and decide how much they are willing to give up on their ethics and morals for the promise of the almighty dollar. Then, the game gets serious and our participants realize that they have made a deal with the devil.
Of course, the real game is "would you rather", a children's game we've all played. Only in this version, the participants needs to actually act on their choices and those choices become ever more violent and gruesome. Often they are left with the choice to hurt another or to take punishment on themselves. Combs has brought along a squad of former torture agents to ensure that the participants follow through on those actions, as well.
It may sounds somewhat silly as a premise from the outside, but the movie is done so well, that every decision of full of tension and each punishment is harder and harder for the audience to watch. I hate the term "torture porn". I think it's usually used by people who don't understand horror, or appreciate enough, but this is far from what anyone would call "torture porn" anyways. Yes, there are elements of torture, there is serious bodily harm and there of moments that will make the audience wince, but this is not, in any way, the "point of the movie". All of the focus is on these actors, who do a great job of portraying the agonizing choices they each must make along the way.
Leading that cadre of actors, though, is Jeffrey Combs, who is absolutely magnificent. Full of gracious courtesy at the beginning, he is the typical dinner party host, offering wonders to his guests. Even as the he begins inflicting serious harm upon the guests, he plays the role with such finesse that he never truly comes across as malevolent. He encourages the guests when they do well, while at the same time enjoying their pain. The is not here to hurt so much as to play game show host to a murderous game. There are these subtle moments when he shows ironic sympathy for his guests that give his character such great duality.
If I have one complaint about the movie it is the ending. I don't want to say too much. I am usually the kind of guy defending bleak endings and I think it fit the the tone of the film, but it just felt so unfair.
Brittany Snow is a young woman taking care of her younger brother, who's dealing with cancer. The movie does a good job of using the introductory moments to introduce us to the woman, her connection with her brother, the reasons she has been left with the burden and the struggles that she is dealing with and it does all of that with an absolute leanness and effectiveness. It leads up to her being introduced to Jeffrey Combs, a rich guy offering a deal. She is invited to a dinner party, where they will play a game. The winner get enough money to eliminate all of their life's problems that the promise that her brother will get his transplant within days.
The party includes Snow and Combs, along with The Penguin from GOTHAM as a spoiled rich kid son of Combs. Crabman from MY NAME IS EARL is one of the participants, along with the dad from HOME ALONE, June Squib in a wheelchair, one of the TRAILER PARK BOYS as a gambler, a war vet, a goth girl with a bad attitude and a generic "good guy". The party starts off intriguingly, with Combs offering a vegetarian cash to eat meat and an alcoholic money to drink booze. We see that he's getting people to make choices and decide how much they are willing to give up on their ethics and morals for the promise of the almighty dollar. Then, the game gets serious and our participants realize that they have made a deal with the devil.
Of course, the real game is "would you rather", a children's game we've all played. Only in this version, the participants needs to actually act on their choices and those choices become ever more violent and gruesome. Often they are left with the choice to hurt another or to take punishment on themselves. Combs has brought along a squad of former torture agents to ensure that the participants follow through on those actions, as well.
It may sounds somewhat silly as a premise from the outside, but the movie is done so well, that every decision of full of tension and each punishment is harder and harder for the audience to watch. I hate the term "torture porn". I think it's usually used by people who don't understand horror, or appreciate enough, but this is far from what anyone would call "torture porn" anyways. Yes, there are elements of torture, there is serious bodily harm and there of moments that will make the audience wince, but this is not, in any way, the "point of the movie". All of the focus is on these actors, who do a great job of portraying the agonizing choices they each must make along the way.
Leading that cadre of actors, though, is Jeffrey Combs, who is absolutely magnificent. Full of gracious courtesy at the beginning, he is the typical dinner party host, offering wonders to his guests. Even as the he begins inflicting serious harm upon the guests, he plays the role with such finesse that he never truly comes across as malevolent. He encourages the guests when they do well, while at the same time enjoying their pain. The is not here to hurt so much as to play game show host to a murderous game. There are these subtle moments when he shows ironic sympathy for his guests that give his character such great duality.
If I have one complaint about the movie it is the ending. I don't want to say too much. I am usually the kind of guy defending bleak endings and I think it fit the the tone of the film, but it just felt so unfair.