I've seen a couple of movies now from the Mahal brothers and each time I was expecting something "blah" and each time was surprised in a positive way. Obviously, going forward, I should probably expect more and set my expectations higher when I see their name attached.
To start with, I'd like to state that I am reviewing this as a low budget Indie movie. Obviously, compared to multi-million dollar franchises such as "Saw", this one has quite a few rough edges. However, comparing it to other similar low budget movies, this one is an absolute gem and could well develop a cult following like "The Toxic Avenger" or "The Evil Dead" or other similar low budget classics.
Without spoilers, the basic synopsis of the plot is that a group of people all wake up to find that they have been captured and individually imprisoned by an unknown captor calling himself "The Warden". The rules are simple. Their plight is being transmitted live onto a website where their very survival is dependent on getting votes and "likes" from all the viewers of the website.
On the face of it, one might expect that this would be a simple and predictable gore fest. Certainly, if that is what you are looking for, you will not be disappointed. Given the extremely limited budget, the practical effects are phenomenal. Don't get me wrong. It is clear that some of the injuries and expected body count are all practical effects. However, except for a couple of weaker ones, most are solid and believable and compare favorably to much higher budget productions.
However, the movie proves to be much more than just a body count and develops into quite a clever storyline. There are a few points where the audience is "led down the garden path", so to speak, only to have our expectations overturned with several intertwined "gotcha" reveals. The ending does not play out at all as might be expected for this genre of horror but it is entirely satisfying nonetheless and definitely leaves the audience with an "Ooooh" moment and wanting more. The plot also askes some very deep questions about society in general and our desire to watch the misfortune of others and both be disgusted and entertained by it simultaneously.
There were some great acting performances from everyone and some well utilized actors we would all recognize. The show stealer was Costas Mandylor (yes, from the original Saw movies) in his role as The Warden. His delivery was spot on in his depravity and callousness. Sarah French also put up a solid showing and mostly helped to drive the plot from the point of view of all the victims / captives. Robert LaSardo was also on his game but possibly under-utilized. Michael Madsen was convincing as a detective investigating the ongoing race against the clock to save the victims. However, his was perhaps the least convincing character in context of the plot (as I will mention in a moment).
Was the plot perfect? Of course not. I felt the beginning of the movie was too rushed. Many of the earlier deaths and gore happened far too close together. I feel spacing them out with more storyline would have helped immensely to build tension and the audience being vested in all the characters. After the first 10-15 mins, the pacing settled where it should have from the beginning so we could learn the back stories and motivations of the characters. Also, while the main plot was happening, the side plot was the police investigation. Although I felt Madsen was believable as a detective and delivered his lines well, I was not convinced by the actual investigation itself. The police did not seem serious enough about the actual urgency of trying to "beat the clock" and save the captives.
Minor gripes aside, I feel this movie checked off all the right boxes. The gore was appropriate and, although shocking, not as sickening as the "Terrifier" series of movies. The acting and practical effects were mostly solid. The storyline initially developed predictably but threw in sufficient curve balls to keep the audience entertained. The movie could have benefited from being a little longer with more storyline. However, this is a solid offering from the Mahal brothers and am glad I got the chance to see it.
If you are squeamish, this movie is probably not for you. However, if you love a good dose of gore with your horror, this one is a lot of fun. Well done!
To start with, I'd like to state that I am reviewing this as a low budget Indie movie. Obviously, compared to multi-million dollar franchises such as "Saw", this one has quite a few rough edges. However, comparing it to other similar low budget movies, this one is an absolute gem and could well develop a cult following like "The Toxic Avenger" or "The Evil Dead" or other similar low budget classics.
Without spoilers, the basic synopsis of the plot is that a group of people all wake up to find that they have been captured and individually imprisoned by an unknown captor calling himself "The Warden". The rules are simple. Their plight is being transmitted live onto a website where their very survival is dependent on getting votes and "likes" from all the viewers of the website.
On the face of it, one might expect that this would be a simple and predictable gore fest. Certainly, if that is what you are looking for, you will not be disappointed. Given the extremely limited budget, the practical effects are phenomenal. Don't get me wrong. It is clear that some of the injuries and expected body count are all practical effects. However, except for a couple of weaker ones, most are solid and believable and compare favorably to much higher budget productions.
However, the movie proves to be much more than just a body count and develops into quite a clever storyline. There are a few points where the audience is "led down the garden path", so to speak, only to have our expectations overturned with several intertwined "gotcha" reveals. The ending does not play out at all as might be expected for this genre of horror but it is entirely satisfying nonetheless and definitely leaves the audience with an "Ooooh" moment and wanting more. The plot also askes some very deep questions about society in general and our desire to watch the misfortune of others and both be disgusted and entertained by it simultaneously.
There were some great acting performances from everyone and some well utilized actors we would all recognize. The show stealer was Costas Mandylor (yes, from the original Saw movies) in his role as The Warden. His delivery was spot on in his depravity and callousness. Sarah French also put up a solid showing and mostly helped to drive the plot from the point of view of all the victims / captives. Robert LaSardo was also on his game but possibly under-utilized. Michael Madsen was convincing as a detective investigating the ongoing race against the clock to save the victims. However, his was perhaps the least convincing character in context of the plot (as I will mention in a moment).
Was the plot perfect? Of course not. I felt the beginning of the movie was too rushed. Many of the earlier deaths and gore happened far too close together. I feel spacing them out with more storyline would have helped immensely to build tension and the audience being vested in all the characters. After the first 10-15 mins, the pacing settled where it should have from the beginning so we could learn the back stories and motivations of the characters. Also, while the main plot was happening, the side plot was the police investigation. Although I felt Madsen was believable as a detective and delivered his lines well, I was not convinced by the actual investigation itself. The police did not seem serious enough about the actual urgency of trying to "beat the clock" and save the captives.
Minor gripes aside, I feel this movie checked off all the right boxes. The gore was appropriate and, although shocking, not as sickening as the "Terrifier" series of movies. The acting and practical effects were mostly solid. The storyline initially developed predictably but threw in sufficient curve balls to keep the audience entertained. The movie could have benefited from being a little longer with more storyline. However, this is a solid offering from the Mahal brothers and am glad I got the chance to see it.
If you are squeamish, this movie is probably not for you. However, if you love a good dose of gore with your horror, this one is a lot of fun. Well done!