Rage

Arriving at a small coastal town, a group of teens looking to party and do drugs while they stay at a remote house in the area find that their trip is a ruse to put them into contact with a special cult looking to provide them as sacrifices for a fertility and harvesting ritual and must try to find how stopping it to get away alive.

This was a pretty solid if unremarkable effort. One of the better features here is the overall fun setup, bringing together some rather fun elements. The main idea of the modern group of youths arriving at the location and intending to use it as a means of partying, doing drugs, and hooking up with whoever they can for a fun, relaxing weekend is a workable enough one. The gradual reveal of the dark secret held by the locals and their motivation to begin targeting and hunting them down is a nice touch as well that adds some nice suspense to things due to this build-up. Other than this, the only other factor to like here is the film's intriguing and brutal slashing scenes. The slow-burn discovery of the cult in the area is quite effective, working in small bits here and there while they're hanging around to show something's going on they're completely oblivious to. This lets the later scenes where they're captured and put through grueling and graphic tortures that are far more brutal than expected as the perverse means through which the ceremony starts to take shape. Alongside some decent stalking scenes, these provide a slew of enjoyable elements to hold this one up. There are some factors here that do bring this one down. One of the main issues here is the absolutely banal and unlikable group that we're supposed to be following. Obnoxious, self-centered partygoers who are more concerned with doing drugs, going to nightclubs, and who they're hooking up with instead of doing anything that makes them appealing if we get to know anything about them, it's incredibly hard to care about those who are presented as the typical rich snobs. The others in the group are barely able to get a name to a face leaving them to be even more unappealing and generally unlikable to be around. The other drawback to this one is a wholesale lack of information here regarding the actual cult and what they're really about. As we've never given any time with the cult to figure out what their history is about, what their purpose for abducting others, or how they're able to get away with the whole operation as long as they have, this leaves far more questions about the cult than expected. This is a big part of the film that is absolutely unknown and ends up giving this quite a lower sense of tension here if nothing makes sense, and with the film's lower budget on display, these are what brings it down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Brief Nudity, sexual content, and drug use.

...or at least that's the vibe I get after watching this 2020 slasher. "Rage" is touted as the first horror film released as a Showmax original, and is directed by Jaco Bouwer. Like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", it follows five teenagers who have landed in a small coastal town, but instead of a concert, it is for a huge rave called "Rage". What starts as a drug and alcohol-filled romp turns into a nightmare-fueled battle for survival as they find themselves hunted by some odd locals, intent on using them for a dark and underlying purpose. The film is directed well, the acting is good, successfully builds upon its dread filled, sometimes psychedelic atmosphere, and isn't afraid of getting gory when the need calls for its (fun times with a drill seems to be the ongoing theme). Good premise, but as any horror fan would attest, doesn't bring anything "new" or "unique" to the genre. Still, at a short hour and 25 minutes, I'd say it's worth checking out.