User reviews

A welcome new take on the slasher genre, Kill Theory starts out quite well, but soon deteriorates into TV teen-soap territory because of the ill thought out character relationships.

The titular kill theory of the villain only works because the characters are pretty shallow and have a common backstory straight out of a bad Gossip Girl story strand. It would have been much more interesting if the group dynamic at least resembled one from the real world where friends do not necessarily hold old grudges and girls might not viciously fight over guys who seemingly do not even deserve it. This way the plot becomes repetitive and predictable quite soon.

It's sad that instead of really working the new angle, the filmmakers only used it as a hook to dress up the same old same old. Acting is solid throughout, apart from one spectacularly bad choice. The actor playing the "put upon fat guy with strong complexes and deep resentment waiting to surface" plays just that with all the cliché choices one might associate with the cliché role, plus overacts so badly that he completely kills all the scenes he is in. He should go back to acting school or look up "restraint" in the dictionary. (To be fair to him, the director might also be to blame; how could he let the guy screw up so disastrously is beyond belief - are they close friends or relatives?) All in all, a film that one might pass the time with but nothing memorable.

I thought this was decent and better than expected bloody thriller with solid acting but this horror theme is very tiresome and recycled now and is no longer thrilling or scary. I thought it was well paced and had ordinary but very brutal kills but what really stands out in this movie and what makes it interesting is the psychological mind games the characters play on each other and the hard decisions they make in order to survive this twisted cat and mouse game. This is pretty much survival of the fittest for the slasher crowd with a mix of Saw, Scream and Battle Royale but less inventive because in the end nothing really stands out in this and is a forgettable throw away. I does have better production values than previous slashers from after dark horrorfest but like most movies from that fest you won't even remember the name of it in a few years. Overall it had an intriguing tagline, decent but as expected leads, ruthless violence and a harsh psychological, cat and mouse game the characters are forced to play and the final twist which is both the highlight of this otherwise forgettable thriller. Worth at least a rental but not a must see.

This is teen horror in the style of Friday 13th. Dash of drinking, nudity and sex with plenty of blood and mayhem. It's not rocket science but it supplies what it's supposed to. I didn't feel cheated.

Reasons I liked this 1. The idea of the villain making the victims kill each other was kinda new. 2. The acting was decent. 3. The surprise at the end was... a surprise.

Reasons I didn't like this 1. The victims weren't particularly sympathetic or likable. I wanted to see them die. 2. The villain was a chatty bastard just like that moron Jigsaw. Man, just shut up with your damn philosophy garbage. Give me silent slashers like Leatherface, Jason or Michael... that or give me funny/scary ones like Freddy or Billy (Black Christmas). 3. Too much Shaky-CAM!!! 4. Too much pointless running around and jabbering just to pad out the time. 5. Lame High School (I know, they're supposed to be college students...) histrionic soap opera crap. I came away with the idea these people might have offed each other even without the encouragement of Mr. Talksalot.

So... 5 to 3... means this movie was a dud. Only worth watching if you're really bored, like I was.

At this point in horror history, long gone are the simple, yet effective, "By-the-numbers" slasher flicks. Everything has to be bigger and better than the last big thing. What Kill Theory does NOT do, is be an innovative force. It doesn't try to create the next big gimmick for horror movies to come. What it DOES do, and well I might add, is take everything that has made slashers work in the past, and incorporate that into a very competently made modern slasher flick.

One of the things I liked most about Kill Theory, is that there really isn't a main character. There is no obvious hero, there isn't really a "Red herring" so to speak. The film puts together a decent ensemble of people, some of whom are recognizable from past efforts, some were unknowns. For me, I immediately noticed Theo Rossi, and Taryn Manning from Sons Of Anarchy, an excellent show if you haven't checked it out yet. I also recognized Daniel Franzese from "Bully". Overall though, Each character appears to be as important as the last. It never emphasizes one character over an other.

The concept is interesting. It's not something new, but it's done very well, and keeps you engaged in the story, instead of waiting for the next kill. Normally in modern slashers, I've completely tuned the "Story" out, and I'm sitting in anticipation for the next piece of visual effects put on display. Speaking of effects, there are plenty of scenes of blood and gore in the film, which are also done very well. So if you're looking for some grue and grime, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the level of gritty violence and gore.

The pacing was perfect. Sitting at a brisk 81 minutes, the film takes no time setting things in motion. There is a "Whodunit" aspect to the film, but it never harps on it. You don't see the "Killer's" face until the end of the film, but it doesn't make it a big "Reveal" moment,and those of us who have been keeping up to date on slashers, will immediately recognize his voice.

If you're thirsting for a slasher film, and if you're like me, and are sick of the "Saw" franchise, and it's imitators, give Kill Theory a shot. It may not be the next big thing, but it takes different elements that made classic slashers work, and put them together in a fun, bloody, competent package.

3.5/5 - napalmfuzz

http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

I have on occasions come across reasonable, enjoyable slashers ("Midnight Meat Train" and "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" to name the first I could think of). This was certainly not the case with this one. Not by a long shot. Poor direction, laughable script, awful, plain awful acting. In spite of a potentially generous premise (demented killer doing none of the dirty work but instead relying upon victims to turn against one another), Kill Theory is nothing but a 75 min long streak of fits of hysteria and oh so much yelling and cursing. No tension, no build-up, no plot twists, nothing that can render such a movie interesting. Then again, it's got gore, that'll probably do for some.

Kill Theory is a film that looked really bad in my opinion, the trailers were not very good and the film didn't get very good reviews and it honestly seemed like another torture porn, ,,Saw wannabe" However that is not what you get. This film blew my mind, it is a slasher but it has thriller elements. The acting is all right and the photography was really good. The movie is gory and delivers on the slasher front. The thing that i didn't expect from the film was the psychological horror, which was very good. The film is very intense and did surprise me a lot. And without spoiling, the ending is awesome! Horror fans will enjoy it. 7/10

Poor direction, laughable script, and awful, plain awful acting. The premise had potential but was ruined by cheesy character relations.

Dialog lines sound like a cheap soap-opera, camera times are badly managed to the point of being annoying, and characters are so clichéd. Besides, the actor playing the "fat guy with complexes and deep resentment waiting to surface" plays just that with all the cliché choices one might associate with the cliché role and overacts so badly that he completely kills all the scenes he is in.

To make it even worse you see scenes that are truly awful. A person may be shot from 6 feet to the stomach, yet he does not die neither turn white from the hemorrhage, moreover, he has the strength to wake up and keep going!!! And you find other unreal stuff like this.

Not bad, got better as it rolled on. Couple surprises.

KILL THEORY has an interesting premise - which has been done many times before - but aside from one or two actors, the general cast is full of pretty boys and girls who were very amateurish actors. Nothing going on in their eyes, monotone line readings and when many of them have to have moments of hysteria and panic - not one real MOMENT, no real tears - just ACTING - just people saying look at me ACT - do you believe ANY of this? Nope - not one bit. And my friends and I were laughing because it seemed that the director might have told the young cast when moments of murder and terror happen to "just wing it - just ad-lib" so literally every other word is the f-bomb, "what the f**k?" "are you f**king kidding me?" "f**k you!" There was more cussing in this than a Richard Pryor concert film and it added NOTHING. You could play a drinking game that every time they say f88k, you take a shot of booze but then you'd be...dead. And the cliché voice of the killer is some tired SAW-like copy - just once how about the killer sounds weak and nebbish? Just to shake things up a bit. The two blonde female leads were interchangeable but I swear one of them must be on Vicodin - you never such low energy, no spark readings in your life. If you wanna ride through Horror Cliché Town, grab a seat. KILL THEORY is an idea searching for a better script and some professional actors.

Kill Theory is the best horror film i have seen in a long time. Filled with unpredictable twists what further elevates it is the fact that everyone is a killer and anyone could kill anyone at any moment this keeps you at the edge of your seat. The acting is also above average for this kind of film especially Agnes Bruckner ,Taryn Manning,Teddy Dunn and newcomer Ryanne Duzich. Carly Pope fans are in for a disappointment as she is only featured in a picture (deleted scenes?) given the quality of the film it is a wonder that lions-gate has shelved this for so long since it could become the next Saw. The running time is somewhat short at about 80 minutes but the film makes up for that with its fast pacing.

A group of college students go to a distant summer house to celebrate their graduation and party hard throughout the night. They find themselves in a very difficult situation when a psychopathic killer gets in touch with them and plays a deadly game where the participants are forced to kill each other in order to survive.

I found the plot to be good and very thrilling. This movie is much like the horror movies from the late 90's and actually not that bad. The only negative thing is that it was pretty predictable at times. So if you're looking for some ordinary horror movie with a lot of killing, this movie would be a good candidate.

How's this for a typical, bad, teen horror film: a bunch of horny, booze-swilling college kids meet up at a secluded house in the woods (with no cell phone reception, of course), spend the first fifteen minutes of the film saying stupid things to each other and are then menaced by a psycho killer whose motivation makes no sense. Throw in some Saw, as the killer says pseudo-profound things to the victims via walky talky and the blood begins to flow. Also toss in some of the most over the top, melodramatic acting this side of afternoon soap operas. Trust me, you've seen this film over and over again since you were 13, only (in most cases) better. Terrible straight-to-video horror film (like most STV horror films are).

I have found myself largely unimpressed by the After Dark movies. This movie is no different. Let's free a guy from a mental institution, send a bunch of young adults up to a house in the middle of nowhere to a house that is largely made of windows and see what happens. It is what you would typically expect, cliché killing and boring interludes in between. Can anyone survive? Probably not? Is the killer who we suspect? Probably? Has it all been done before? Most definitely. Should you bother to sit through this? I highly recommend you don't. New movie makers need to come up with some new movie plots. The couples away thing has been over done and so it the having the one lone friend that has to tolerate all of the other couples so in love. People, get an original idea, then think about making a movie.

'Kill Theory' is a late 00's slasher home invasion flick with an interesting concept, a creepy location, cool kills and some unexpected twists and turns to keep you entertained throughout. This was obviously inspired by the 'Saw' franchise (there were a lot of them at the time), but this is definitely one of the better clones as it doesn't rely on gore and over the top traps, instead this uses a similar idea and just runs with it.

The plot = Brent (Teddy Dunn) takes his friends to a secluded lake house to celebrate their graduation, only to find themselves targeted by a sadistic killer who forces them to kill each other until only one of them is left alive by 6 a.m. & if they don't then he will kill them.

This has a really good set up with an interesting beginning that engages you from the start and thanks to a solid pacing it never becomes boring, but when we're introduced to the group of teens, I didn't find any of them likeable or memorable enough for me to care about them, none of them were fleshed out and instead felt very much like stock slasher movie fodder. The acting was also very sub-par and uneven, which was why I couldn't feel any sort of connection to them. The killer himself has an effective presence and remains largely out of sight which works in the movie's favour and helps build up the tension.

Overall 'Kill Theory' is an enjoyable modern slasher flick and that's all it needs to be.

This movie is pretty forgettable for the most part. The story is generic with a group of friends who have to play a deadly game in order to survive. It's predictable throughout and doesn't bring anything new to this type of movie. Most of the title of the movie is how, throughout the game, the characters turn against each other in order to survive. I do like the opening with giving a backstory of the killer and why he is doing it. But throughout it, it's just a survival movie that you can easily guess what happened next and is not that entertaining to watch. Also, there's a lot of character drama that isn't a bad idea, but the way it's executed is pretty poorly done and not that effective. The ending itself is anticlimactic, and that little revealed isn't that impressive.

OK...I think it was a cool movie..cool premise and a cool script for the most part.

The actors, the gore, the setting, even the "scary" music was all good.

However...why are teens always so well off? Why are they always out to get drunk and party? Why are the chicks always wearing tight clothing and thongs? Why are they always super sexy hot looking? Why is the house always big and clean and in the middle of nowhere without any line of communication? In 2009 there are satellite phones, GPS units, faxes, pagers, mobile devices of all sorts that have superb range - even in desert and forest and mountain ranges - so how can these kids be stuck in an area that is free of any communication?

These kids are not short on anything in the latest area of fashion or toys - so how are they always unable to get through to a source of communication? It's their sole reason in life...to enjoy their wealth and riches...otherwise they would be working at the mall or a restaurant or doing some real job, rather than just enjoying summer to it's full extent on a boat, in a private lake, surrounded by acres of private property.

The house is a $300 000 home at least - with all the latest furnishings, but yet there is no home security device or no telecommunication via fax or computer? These families have it all...obviously, or the kids wouldn't be coming to some country home by car, loaded with food and drink.

If the family had no means of survival, there would not be a reason for the home to be kept up. It would be a shack boarded up with plywood and the boat would be a canoe patched with fiberglass and duct tape.

I'm glad to see the pretty white boys and girls be offed, but that is the part I am tired of watching...the pretty people - all over the screen.

Why not throw in a handicapped person or East Indian or Ukranian speaking friend? Give real character and personality to people or make them all assholes. Maybe somebody who is mute or partially blind.

Give it some real appeal. Give it something special.

Sure it 's nice to see tits and ass and pretty girls topless and buff guys, but it's boring..and overdone.

I would love to see a 400 pound person who has a hard time walking up a flight of stairs come crashing down on somebody and crushing them underneath a table or something.

Yes, sometimes even the "ugly" people can be interesting as well.

Having the mute person try to scream...just flawless.

Having the blind person try to defend themselves - true masterpiece.

Havig different cultures aside from just the pretty white boys and girls makes it so much more interesting.

And...having a slew of household weapons in a garage or basement is far more entertaining than just having a kid pull a gun and use up 15 shots.

Imagine all the gore you can do with a circsaw or weed whacker; a tree pruner or a band saw or something that is used in a real day to day setting.

Car tools, electrical cords, hair dryers....oh all the fun toys that we use on a daily basis which can mutilate us, decapitate us, burn us and over all do some nasty carnage.

Even the simple thing as having a broomstick and a frying pan or a fireplace poker.

Walk around the hardware store and take a good look at your next weapon of choice...it's so much more fun than just pulling a trigger.

Using a butane torch, paint stripper, garden shears, pitchfork, vise grips and every other tool known to an is so much more intense rather than just a bullet to the gut or forehead.

Guns are overused and for the people who have no skill or vision in writing.

Really...let yourself go and become insane for a weekend...your last weapon will be a gun.

Whilst celebrating a graduation at a secluded vacation home, a group of college students find themselves targeted by a sadistic killer who forces them to play a deadly game of killing one another in order to survive.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Agnes Bruckner (who plays Jennifer) was in the cast, being a fan of "The Woods". Oddly, throughout the whole film, I never recognized her. Hmmm.

This movie is a lot like "Saw" (or maybe "Saw II") in that it has people forced to kill others rather than the madman doing the work himself. Kevin Gage even has a very Tobin Bellesque voice, and I have to wonder if he was cast based on the voice alone, since he is rarely on screen.

We are also reminded of "Ten Little Indians", the classic Agatha Christie novel. Many films have borrowed this concept -- I could probably name ten from the last ten years. But it is one growing subgenre of horror I do not mind. Watching with friends, you can pick your favorite character and see if they are the one to be remaining.

The twists and turns are here, too, and you never know who is dead until you are absolutely sure. Sometimes it is only a flesh wound, so expect a few people not to go down so easily. There is also one "major" twist, which I did not find very shocking, but maybe it will excite you more than me (this is one you will have to discover on your own).

The plot of the movie wasn't really interesting and not innovative, at all. The storyline wasn't very well written because it was really silly, even though there weren't many plot holes. The characters were kinda well-developed, but they weren't interesting and they were dislikable. The filming location of the movie was basic, just a big house in the middle of nowhere. The killcount of the movie wasn't really good and I didn't really liked any of the kill scenes. Also, it was a very boring movie, even though the duration of the movie wasn't really long. In my opinion, it was a pointless movie and the concept of the film was kinda silly. Overall, it wasn't a nice horror movie, that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and I wouldn't watch it again.

Seriously, how do some people think they'll get noticed and earn lots of money and respect with such an average and formulaic movie such as this one.

Yes, I'll admit that I'm definitely fed up at this point by horror/slasher movies that feature a group of young, perfect looking, college students. Of course there is also still the obligatory fat guy, who also happens to be the only single of the group and is the only one that likes to play video games. It's amazing how these kids still seem to worry about their relationships and other personal stuff, while their friends are all being killed one by one, in front of them. The movie of course still starts out happy, in which the kids are preparing themselves for a week full of liquor and careless sex. God, I'm so glad I have never hung out with a sort of friend-group as got portrayed in this movie.

But of course the movie is not just being formulaic with its characters but also with its story. Lots of people seem to compare it to modern torture horror movies but guess that no one has seen the Japanese movie "Batoru rowaiaru", that pretty much uses the same concept as this movie. So no, obviously this movie isn't being a very original one but on top of that, the story is also just far too weak to consider it ever really a believable enough one. Seriously, the reason why the killer is messing with these kids is just way out there and frankly I just didn't buy into his silly motivations. But also the way these kids are handling the whole situation feels at all times far from likely. None of them are predictable, which sounds like a good thing but in this case isn't really. Whenever you think someone is good and the movie is going to focus on him/her and treat him/her as the hero of the movie, he/she does something incredibly immoral and you start to no longer care for any of the characters and whether or not they are going to survive.

But still, it remains a pretty decent made genre movie, that is certainly good looking and also features some nice gore and killings. But in this case this still isn't really being enough to please the fans of the genre. It doesn't save the movie, it just spices up things a little at times.

And it's a real shame, since the movie gives you the feeling that it still could had been a pretty original and interesting one, had it done more with its concept and perhaps had some better written characters in it.

If you want to see this movie done well, I suggest you go see "Batoru rowaiaru".

5/10

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