13 Sins (2014) #399

To what length would you go if you were offered greatly increased amounts of money, deposited directly into your bank account, to perform various tasks from an unknown voice on the other end of a phone? Elliot needs money desperately after he loses his job because he has a pregnant fiancee, mentally handicapped brother, and an angry and abusive father to take care of. His luck changes with a phone call; Elliot thinks that he is blessed after he is asked to kill a fly and is awarded $1000 for his efforts. Slowly the requests grow more uncomfortable as the cash reward grows. From making a child cry to taking a corpse out to coffee to unspeakable deeds, Elliot finds himself forced into completing 13 tasks that will ultimately change his life and the lives of the people he loves the most. The movie is quick paced, beginning violently and never letting up.

Would You Rather (2012) #460

What would you do if you had the chance to become financially secure, freeing yourself and your family from overwhelming medical bills and stress. “Would You Rather” explores how far a young woman would attempt to endure to save herself and her brother from financial ruin and to get him the medical help he desperately needs. A dark psychological horror film starring Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, and Robin Lord Taylor.

Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect) stars as Iris, a young woman struggling to find employment while taking care of her younger brother who is slowly dying from leukemia. They are unable to afford the cost for his treatment and the future seems dire. Her brother’s doctor introduces her to a philanthropist named Shepard Lambrick, who offers to take care of her debt as well as find a bone marrow donor for her brother. All she has to do is to come to his residence and play a evening of the game Would You Rather. Considering his generous offer, Iris agrees. 

Shepherd Lambrick, played by the amazing Jeffrey Combs “ “, “ “, and “ “, has assembled eight poor souls who are in desperate need of winning the grand prize at the end of the game. The guests joining Iris all have problems of their own which include an elderly paralyzed woman, a gambling addict, and alcoholic, and more. Shepherd’s son Julian and several butlers also join the group. The game begins during dinner when Shepherd offers Iris $10,000 to eat a steak and foie gras after learning that she is a vegetarian. She accepts the offer as she swallows her pride and principles. The game continues playing on the guests weaknesses, becoming more awful as the prize increases.

“Would You Rather” is a gruesome, chilling movie. It has a similar theme to others movies I’ve reviewed such as “Kindan No Osama Geemu” and “13 Sins”. Not quite torture porn, the film walks a fine line with its level of blood and violence. The games go dark very fast and never let up. That’s not to say that character development is a second thought. Some characters have chemistry with each other and bonds are made as they suffer together. My only disappointment, from a narrative standpoint, is the development of Julian. It felt like that there was more to his relationship with his father and their family history after a few subtle comments made early on in the film.