Would You Rather - A Review
To all who are reading this,
Today I bring a review of a film that I watched over a week ago. My partner and I were very undecided about what to watch. I wanted to watch Divergent (2014), but we were unable to. After flicking through Amazon Prime, we found this flick. I had always been intrigued by the poster, and so we gave it a go.
There may be spoilers and repetition...
Length: 93 Minutes
Release date: 14th October 2012
Synopsis: Desperate to help her ailing brother, a young woman unknowingly agrees to compete in a deadly game of "Would You Rather," hosted by a sadistic aristocrat.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Studio: Periscope Entertainment
Director: David Guy Levy
Writer: Steffen Schlachtenhaufen
Starring: Brittany Snow, June Squibb, Jeffrey Combs
MPA-Rating: Unrated
Most people have heard of the conversational party game, 'Would You Rather'. Players take it in turns to ask questions such as, "Would you rather be able to turn into a wolf or become a vampire?" Now, my answer to that question... Both! I love both creatures, but that's not what I'm getting at. The questions asked could be anything, ranging from perfectly harmless, "Would you rather drink tea or coffee?", to something sexual, "Would you rather watch a threesome or be part of a threesome?". The game is designed to be able to enable players to learn something new about each other, and to a certain degree, perhaps embarrass.
I had heard of the film before, and I'd played the game before at sleep overs in my teenage years. One thing for sure is that I've never played something like this before. The poster is designed to send shivers down your spine, cementing itself into the horror genre. Initially, I was a little apprehensive. The idea of a horror film that revolves somewhat around an eye is pretty creepy. Mainly because I have the firm belief that eyes are the windows to the soul etc...
The film revolves around Iris (Brittany Snow) who has set aside her life to care for her ailing brother, Raleigh (Logan Miller). The leukaemia treatment costs are high and Dr Barden (Lawrence Gilliard Jr) introduces her to aristocrat, Shepard Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs). Lambrick suggests that she join him for dinner and an evening game. If she wins his game, he will locate a bone marrow transplant donor and pay for the treatment. After spending the evening with her brother, seeing him in pain and sinking further into depression, Iris agrees to the game.
She is driven to a large manor house where she is introduced to Lambrick's son, Julian (Robin Lord Taylor). She also meets the fellow contestants: Lucas (Enver Gjokaj), war veteran Travis (Charlie Hofheimer), the elderly and paralysed Linda (June Squibb), gambling addict Cal (Eddie Steeples), Amy (Sasha Grey) and debt ridden, recovering alcoholic Conway (John Heard). They all attend the evening meal, where Iris reveals that she is a vegetarian. Shepard offers her a large sum of money to eat the meat that is on her plate. And now, the game is afoot. It is much more dangerous than eating meat, or asking a recovering alcoholic to choose between wine and scotch.
"Would you rather..." electric shock yourself, or the neighbour at your dinner party.
"Would you rather..." stab someone in the thigh with an ice pick or whip someone with a sjambok (a heavy leather whip, traditionally made from hippopotamus or rhinoceros hide).
"Would you rather..." face the unknown in an envelope, or have your head held in a barrel of water for two minutes. Of course, this is even more dangerous - the card can hold anything, such as ignite a firecracker in your hand, slit open your eye with a razor blade (and I will admit that I hid under the bed cover at that stage), have all your teeth extracted, or spend longer in the barrel...
Whilst the house has an classic grandeur, and is the main set of the film, it has those classic horror tropes, such as the spooky glass panelled doors that are great for shadowed effects, empty and deserted corridors, and the large layouts of the stairs. The dining room becomes specifically styled by outlining it with plastic wrapping, to prevent blood staining anything and creating a mess.
In contrast, Iris and Raleigh's home is simple and effective. In the bathroom, there are railings for people to hold onto - namely, Raleigh with his illness. The bedroom's seem clutter free. The only thing that holds some comfort is the kitchen, where the two share their meals. It gives the audience pity for Raleigh and even Iris - how she gives things up, saves all the money she can to try and help her brother in any shape that she can.
The film is certainly psychological to a certain degree. I found myself answering the questions. What would I do in that situation? It makes you think what can a person be capable of doing, especially when their life is in the hands of the someone else. Can someone be driven to murder by such a simple question? The ending has a twist, but I'm afraid to say that I saw it coming. I won't give it away for you, but I'll leave you with this question:
Would you rather watch the film or not watch the film?
Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
Currently reading: Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Today I bring a review of a film that I watched over a week ago. My partner and I were very undecided about what to watch. I wanted to watch Divergent (2014), but we were unable to. After flicking through Amazon Prime, we found this flick. I had always been intrigued by the poster, and so we gave it a go.
There may be spoilers and repetition...
Length: 93 Minutes
Release date: 14th October 2012
Synopsis: Desperate to help her ailing brother, a young woman unknowingly agrees to compete in a deadly game of "Would You Rather," hosted by a sadistic aristocrat.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Studio: Periscope Entertainment
Director: David Guy Levy
Writer: Steffen Schlachtenhaufen
Starring: Brittany Snow, June Squibb, Jeffrey Combs
MPA-Rating: Unrated
Most people have heard of the conversational party game, 'Would You Rather'. Players take it in turns to ask questions such as, "Would you rather be able to turn into a wolf or become a vampire?" Now, my answer to that question... Both! I love both creatures, but that's not what I'm getting at. The questions asked could be anything, ranging from perfectly harmless, "Would you rather drink tea or coffee?", to something sexual, "Would you rather watch a threesome or be part of a threesome?". The game is designed to be able to enable players to learn something new about each other, and to a certain degree, perhaps embarrass.
I had heard of the film before, and I'd played the game before at sleep overs in my teenage years. One thing for sure is that I've never played something like this before. The poster is designed to send shivers down your spine, cementing itself into the horror genre. Initially, I was a little apprehensive. The idea of a horror film that revolves somewhat around an eye is pretty creepy. Mainly because I have the firm belief that eyes are the windows to the soul etc...
The film revolves around Iris (Brittany Snow) who has set aside her life to care for her ailing brother, Raleigh (Logan Miller). The leukaemia treatment costs are high and Dr Barden (Lawrence Gilliard Jr) introduces her to aristocrat, Shepard Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs). Lambrick suggests that she join him for dinner and an evening game. If she wins his game, he will locate a bone marrow transplant donor and pay for the treatment. After spending the evening with her brother, seeing him in pain and sinking further into depression, Iris agrees to the game.
She is driven to a large manor house where she is introduced to Lambrick's son, Julian (Robin Lord Taylor). She also meets the fellow contestants: Lucas (Enver Gjokaj), war veteran Travis (Charlie Hofheimer), the elderly and paralysed Linda (June Squibb), gambling addict Cal (Eddie Steeples), Amy (Sasha Grey) and debt ridden, recovering alcoholic Conway (John Heard). They all attend the evening meal, where Iris reveals that she is a vegetarian. Shepard offers her a large sum of money to eat the meat that is on her plate. And now, the game is afoot. It is much more dangerous than eating meat, or asking a recovering alcoholic to choose between wine and scotch.
"Would you rather..." electric shock yourself, or the neighbour at your dinner party.
"Would you rather..." stab someone in the thigh with an ice pick or whip someone with a sjambok (a heavy leather whip, traditionally made from hippopotamus or rhinoceros hide).
"Would you rather..." face the unknown in an envelope, or have your head held in a barrel of water for two minutes. Of course, this is even more dangerous - the card can hold anything, such as ignite a firecracker in your hand, slit open your eye with a razor blade (and I will admit that I hid under the bed cover at that stage), have all your teeth extracted, or spend longer in the barrel...
Whilst the house has an classic grandeur, and is the main set of the film, it has those classic horror tropes, such as the spooky glass panelled doors that are great for shadowed effects, empty and deserted corridors, and the large layouts of the stairs. The dining room becomes specifically styled by outlining it with plastic wrapping, to prevent blood staining anything and creating a mess.
In contrast, Iris and Raleigh's home is simple and effective. In the bathroom, there are railings for people to hold onto - namely, Raleigh with his illness. The bedroom's seem clutter free. The only thing that holds some comfort is the kitchen, where the two share their meals. It gives the audience pity for Raleigh and even Iris - how she gives things up, saves all the money she can to try and help her brother in any shape that she can.
The film is certainly psychological to a certain degree. I found myself answering the questions. What would I do in that situation? It makes you think what can a person be capable of doing, especially when their life is in the hands of the someone else. Can someone be driven to murder by such a simple question? The ending has a twist, but I'm afraid to say that I saw it coming. I won't give it away for you, but I'll leave you with this question:
Would you rather watch the film or not watch the film?
Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
Currently reading: Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
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