User reviews

I've always liked psychological thrillers, and though I wasn't particularly blown away, "13 Sins" is a good pick.

The cinematography was rather mediocre and especially monotonous in the beginning, but Mark Webber indeed did a great job - you can see his posture and facial expressions change drastically throughout the movie, which I find pretty haunting. The plot is simple yet intriguing and smart. Somehow, all the twists seem predictable for me, but that doesn't mean they aren't good ones. There is some decent, mild gore along the way as well, as expected from Dimension Films. To be honest, I think it wouldn't hurt to show some more blood; but considering the fact that this is low-budget, it's not that important.

Though I did have fun sitting through 90 minutes of this movie, I wouldn't highly recommend this to everyone. Maybe just some who need a new breeze regarding horror / thriller genre (the exact reason why I watched "13 Sins" in the first place).

was pleasantly surprised by this film, it's not great, and nothing about it is great, but pretty much all of it is pretty good, the story, the acting, the twists.

you'll be talking with whoever you watch this with or know has seen it what stage you would stop playing the game. Which is tricky because if you go so far it's difficult to turn back, which is the whole point.

was a little disappointed with the end, can't help but think 'YOU IDIOT!!!'

Well worth a watch if your into similar films, not much to hate about this in my opinion.

I think this movie could have done well in theatres if just given even a moderate push. It's a smart horror movie. I know we are so used to getting bombarded with ghost story horror movies, like The Conjuring, Insidious, and Sinister (which are all basically the same movie), that something like 13 Sins couldn't possibly stand out. Right? It's like a horror movie version of The Game, or a horror version of Series 7. Not quite The Running Man. In this version, a man (Webber) is told that he can potentially win 6 million dollars. Of course, he's down on his luck, which is why he was chosen. He's also planning a wedding to his girlfriend (Wesley), and needs to take care of his mentally ill brother (Graye), and potentially his sick father (Bower). So a lot is at stake.

He has to complete 13 tasks. The first is easy. Kill a fly. But the stakes are upped with each new task, and soon he finds himself doing things he never thought possible. What can a man convince himself to do to provide for his family? 13 Sins is an interesting take on something that's already been done before. It does enough different to feel fresh, and not only do you want to know how it ends, you'll be surprised by how it turns out. There's a great twist at the end, and it makes the movie so much better.

Webber is a great lead, and underused in Hollywood. Hopefully more people will see him in this so he can get higher profile roles. It's also a nice departure for Wesley, who usually has to kick ass as Tara in True Blood. It's nice to see her play the sweet girlfriend for once.

It's on Netflix, and it's very much worth a watch. Probably one of the best surprises I've had watching a random film on Netflix that I knew nothing about.

OK so I admit I was a bit under educated going into this one and found out in my usual prepping that 13 Sins is actually an American remake of a Thai Horror/comedy, 13 Beloved that came out in 2006. I was drawn to it immediately being the huge Ron Perlman fan that I am, I was pleasantly surprised when I started watching and saw another familiar face in Rutina Wesley (True Blood) playing the pregnant fiancée.' there is another familiar face from True Blood as well in the unnamed father in law to Rutina, Tom Bower, who played in several episodes of the series. the film is full of notable character actors, all leading you to expect a great film.

Elliot (Mark Webber) is expecting a promotion to go along with his upcoming nuptials pregnant bride to be Shelby (Rutina). It looks like life is going to be roses for the couple, but looks are often deceiving and upon closer inspection we find the couple is in dire financial straights. The couple is struggling with a wedding pending, baby on the way and Elliots special needs brother, and it looks as though Elliot needs to rescue his destitute father as well.

Upon arriving at work he finds instead of a promotion, his problems are compiled with a pink slip. How can things get worse you ask? Just as it seems all hope is gone for poor Elliot, he gets a mysterious call offering a solution, 13 tasks each more strange and difficult than the last but for every task completed his bank account will grow, but once you start this game there is no turning back! How far would you be willing to go to make ends meet and find your financial freedom?

So to start with there's nothing all that new about this one, but it does offer up some nice little twists as you go. The characters are each interesting in their own right. The cast is fantastic, but not particularly challenged by the story, so although they do well they don't necessarily shine the way I had hoped for.The film has its moments of dark humor, some good action sequences, and interesting kills. The tasks put in front of Elliot will definitely lead to a discussion and some internal battles of conscious for the viewer.

All in all this film is a fun watch, a bit predictable but it it will also more than likely throw you a few curve balls. Its not a film that is going to change cinema history, but its worth a watch for sure. I will eventually add this one to the collection, as I could watch it again, and I do love some of the cast, but its not as fresh as I had hoped for, yet somehow its still interesting enough to be enjoyable and keep you watching.

HeatherOmen TheHorrorNation.net

"13 Sins" has a lot in common with another recent low-budget, independent film, "Cheap Thrills." In both, a down-on-his-luck young man, driven by extreme desperation, agrees to perform a series of unsavory/immoral/illegal acts in exchange for ever larger quantities of money.

The protagonist of "13 Sins," a psychological thriller written by David Birke and Daniel Stamm and directed by Stamm, is Elliot Brindle (Mark Webber), a harried and harassed insurance agent who has a number of people depending on him for their livelihood and support. These include his pregnant fiancé ("True Blood's" Rutina Wesley), his mentally- challenged younger brother (Devon Graye) and a cantankerous racist dad (Tm Power) who's been evicted from his home and now has to move in with Elliot and his black girlfriend. Then Elliot is summarily fired from his job, leaving him utterly bereft and desperate, until, that is, he receives a call from a mysterious stranger who offers to make Elliot a fortune if he successfully performs 13 tasks as part of a surreal "game show," the hitch being that he can't let anyone in on what he's doing or he'll lose all his winnings.

At first the tasks seem simple enough, but as they escalate in intensity, it quickly becomes apparent that the object of the game is to "show that anyone can be turned into a monster." And Elliot is only too willing to prove that point.

The mood is grim and the humor pitch-black in this Kafkaesque tale of an ordinary man caught in an incomprehensible nightmare from which he cannot awaken, a nightmare filled with shadowy figures and disembodied voices that hold him in their implacable grip - though, if truth be told, the lure of easy wealth can be awfully hard to resist, even when the price is as potentially dear as it is here. The movie is creepy and disturbing in its unflinching look at the morally depraved depths to which desperate people will sink in an effort to ameliorate their situation. It forces us to look at a lot of unsettling aspects of human nature - aspects we might not be all that willing to face - but that's what makes it an effective little horror film in the long run.

I will start this by saying: YOU need to watch it!

2013 was quite the year for horror and 2014 looks promising also. 13 sins is one of the most intriguing movies I've seen in quite a while, something of a "Identity" that will keep you there, craving for more even getting your mind twisted a little. It was perfect, from start to finish, and I can't believe I didn't hear more about it. Sadly, a lot of good horrors lately remain completely unknown even after they are release and it is quite the shame, but fanatics will always find a way of digging them up.

The cast was good, Mark Webber did an excellent job, Ron Perlman is always good on screen and Pruitt Taylor Vince always offers a dark touch to his films. The plot was not the most original, but not one of those over used subjects either, the execution is the key here. Pretty much everything was done the way it supposed to and all horror fans will have a big smile at the end of it. 13 sins is indeed a good horror!

I will end this by saying: YOU need to watch it!

I truly liked this movie. This movie was of the puppeteer type as I like to call them. A person or person(s) are committing atrocities yet someone else is pulling the strings.

13 Sins is about a man, Elliott Brindle (Mark Webber), who is down on his luck when he's offered an opportunity to win loads of money to help alleviate his woes. There are 13 tasks to complete and the rules are such that once he starts he pretty much has to continue to completion. Of course the game is anything but harmless.

I was impressed with the plot and the build up. Before having some random person launch into a morbid game we first got to see the type of person Brindle was and the type of issues he had to deal with. Pregnant fiancé, disabled brother, elderly father, and recently terminated from his job. This information wasn't thrust in there as an aside, we were given it organically within the flow of the movie.

It's also a movie that makes you think: "How far would I go for a sizable sum of money?" The puppeteer type movies always find human weaknesses to prey upon and they are usually either greed or survival. Where movies like "Saw", "Die", "Vile", "Circle" and others are about pure survival at its core, "13 Sins" is about social survival. Elliott could've easily opted not to play but what quality of life would he have given his situation?

There were some small flaws with the movie but overall it was a good product. They took a known premise and freshened it. It helped that the actors were good and you didn't totally know what was the end game. Yes, I truly liked this movie.

A desperate salesman in need of money to support his family agrees to take part in a series of challenges to gain money.

The set up is pretty clumsy but the fun of this film is seeing what the challenges are and how the salesman completes them. The challenges start simple but quickly get more and more sinister.

The film is greatly helped by a good and likable performance from the lead Mark Webber as the everyman put in situations he doesn't want to be in. Good, solid support is provided from the rest of the cast including Ron Perlman. The film is fast paced and there is a great air of tension built up as the tasks escalate and the web closes in. It does become a little SAW like and at times it does become a bit hard to watch. However it does always manage to keep your attention.

This is a film not to think too much about but just to enjoy and on that score this film delivered for me.

Some people here have never seen a movie it seems. How is this a brilliant movie?! This is one of the ones you watch in its entirety because it's so provocatively bad. It does not only not make any sense in itself and is very inconsequential on top but literally everyone in it lacks any sort of common sense, too. It's very unsatisfying. I would not ever recommend it to anyone, although I do sometimes host a trash movie night where we watch infuriatingly bad films that make you scream at the screen what an actual, thinking person would do instead in complete disbelief. For that type of entertainment, it's a good contender, if that's your thing go ahead. 7/10 for ridiculing it, 3/10 as an actual movie and that's generous on both those numbers.

I am a man of very few words, so I am not going to give a long, drawn- out, in-depth review. This was a wonderful movie. It is loads of fun IF (and only if) you have as dark of a sense of humor as I do. See it. You will not be disappointed as long as (as I said before) you have a very dark sense of humor and you like movies in which the main character is psychologically tortured. End of review.

Only one question: How the hell did this do SO poorly at the box office?! I mean, how does a movie (ANY MOVIE) gross less than $10,000?! I mean, "Jaws: The Revenge" made over $20,000,000 for God's sake. It is not exactly Hitchcock's "Psycho", but "13 Sins" is still a really fun movie.

I will say it now: if you watch this film, don't quit until the 90 minutes have expired. Otherwise you will miss the devilishly clever final twists which are well-foreshadowed. In fact it is textbook screen writing. Fiction writers from all genres should take note - this is how you do it.

However, it's easy to change channels when watching 13 Sins. The low budget and (at times) pedestrian acting make it unremarkable to the eye, and it's tempting to go looking for something better. But stick with it, as what 13 Sins lacks in scale and scope it makes up for with suspense and intelligent twists. If you're very good, you might see it coming. The events of the third act are telegraphed clearly in the first, although you'll have to be smart to put the pieces together. This is where the film succeeds. Mysteries should always give the viewer a chance to solve the puzzle, and while 13 Sins doesn't make it easy, you can certainly do it. In fact I'm laughing out loud at myself for not seeing it coming.

That said, 13 Sins is a flawed film. It's tried to blur the lines between a suspense thriller and horror film. There are some hackneyed horror moments that could have been handled more effectively. A handful of gory scenes were obtuse and unnecessary, and perhaps would have been better if done with more subtlety. This seems to be the fault of the director who is apparently influenced by the style of independent horror-film makers of the 90s and 2000s who don't understand the value of tension. Gore on its own is ineffective. Horror is equal parts what we see and don't see. Case study: the original Alien showed us everywhere the creature could be, and in turn revealed them to be empty, letting our minds wander, letting us experience what the terrified characters were feeling. When the ultimate moment comes, it's done logically, and with nuance and flair. There's no gore on screen that didn't need to be there. All horror writers should study this.

The other problem lies with the film's occasional desire to go beyond it's limitations and try to establish a grander scale. There's an "escape" set piece that falls short of competency because they didn't have the money for good special effects, and it showed. You could have just left it out. An independent film should work around its budget instead of stretching it.

Anyway, out of all the slim pickings of 2014 so far - which is shaping up to be another terrible year for film - this low-budget suspense thriller has actually impressed me. Elliot's (the protagonist's) transformation was mostly plausible, aside from a few nonsense moments. It's sheer intelligence and gripping, relentless pace kept me watching until the bitter end. However, while I have said that the final act is quite good, it is let down by an incompetent epilogue which leaves us with a Downer Ending instead of one which is left open to the audience to interpret.

I recommend it as a rental only, but I DO recommend you see it.

It's one of those dare movies - not scary - just gross and really stupid. Don't waste your time on this.

'The Box, 2009', meets 'Saw, 2004', meets 'Eagle Eye, 2008'. Combine the plot, premise and mood of those three movies and you'll know precisely what to expect from this taut, energetic thriller/mystery. It most resembles "The Box" but focuses more on action than psychological thrills. It most certainly doesn't qualify as a horror.

It was a pleasure to see Rutina Wesley (HBO's True Blood) on the big screen, and Ron Perlman is always a delight. All of the performances delivered were good, some more-so than others. A comprehensible script along with some talented directing made it all come together nicely.

If you're looking for a film to keep you glued to the edge of your seat, this one misses the mark, just barely. If you're looking for a film that will have your mind reeling, it also just misses the mark. As an effective genre hybrid it walks the line and makes for a palatable, enjoyable, viewing experience for a wider audience set. It's plain movie fun that doesn't cater to idiotic 'tweens.

How far would you go to become a multi-millionaire? Can the promise of fortune turn the meek-mannered into a violent sociopath? Who is being entertained by this insidious game and how?

This was a decent thriller even if it was a bit predictable. A young man on the verge of being married, expecting a baby, caring for his mentally disabled brother, dealing with a less than likeable father, deep in debt and recently fired is given the opportunity to play a game consisting of 13 challenges. The challenges begin fairly easy but each new challenge escalates greatly and carry greater risks. If he quits or tells anyone about the game he is disqualified and all winnings up to that point are lost as well. The questions he faces come down to how far is willing to go for the money and his freedom.

Like I said, this was decent enough. You feel for the guy and his situation. There was a building of suspense throughout the film and that is on of it's most enjoyable aspects. Some of the challenges are a bit out there but there was a good effort to keep things flowing in what felt like the range of possibility. i saw some of the ending coming but there were other aspects in how it ended that caught me off guard. That was something I liked. There were questions left unanswered which could maybe be an open door to a sequel and that would be fine. However, without a sequel, I missed not being able to know more about the game. All-in-all it was an enjoyable film.

13 Sins is a mean, mean movie, one that pushes it's audience as far as the central premise does it's characters. By push I mean it gleefully tries to figure out just how many acts of nasty human depravity it can parade before you before the laughs turn to "oh damn, that's actually horrible." Me being the sicko that I am, I laughed pretty much straight through til the bombastic finale, but I recognized the rotten nature in the story and felt the weight all the same. The idea is simple: One day a financially troubled man (Mark Webber, who just has one of those faces you want to punch) gets a mysterious phone call from a game show host sounding dude, telling him to swat a fly, after which one thousand dollars will be deposited into bis account. Easy enough, right? Yeah, sure. Now he's had a taste of money, wants in on the game and has no clue what soul crushing horrors await. Each new task gets more violent, disgusting, risky, disturbing and (if you've got the right mind for it) increasingly hilarious. Make a child cry. Push an old woman down a flight of stairs. Set a church nativity scene on fire. Cheery stuff. Then it gets real and he's asked to do things right out of a horror movie, all in the name of green money. The aim, besides of course amusement, is to prove that anyone can be turned into a monster if the price is right. As funny as it is, it leaves a sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach, like you've been kicked in the nuts by every horrible news report of late, a gnawing reminder of what levels humans are capable of sinking too when they have too much time and money on their hands. Ron Perlman plays the obligatory baffled police detective, always one step behind the action, and watch for veteran Tom Bower too. The film kind of falls apart near the end, as what little believability it had evaporates alongside the forced plot twists, but had it remained lean and simple I think it would've fared better. All its forgiven when considering the impact it makes though, both as action social horror story, extremely black comedy and alluring thriller.

This is a wonderful critique of raw capitalism and the unquestioned reign of the 1% for those willing to see it. I recommend viewing this movie to anyone who can relate to the inhuman transformation we are all forced to go through in order to survive in so-constructed and firmly held objectivist societies.

This movie deserves a cult following.

The story is slow to start, but picks up later on. There isn't much bling, but a lot of substance to the story. The acting is solid. The story is intriguing. There is a plot twist. Other characters could have been fleshed out more for greater immersion, but the protagonist himself is well portrayed.

I enjoyed watching this movie, but you should know my score is not based on the quality of the movie itself. I gave it a 10/10 because the underlying system critique resonated with me.

13 Sins pits a money hungry loser in a rat race to win millions of dollars by completing one heinous act after another. As you can probably tell by the plot line, the challenges get more and more extreme until it results in murder and mayhem. This is a film that starts out rather strong, an awesome opening that sparks intrigue, a likable loser protagonist, and then...it descends into one ridiculous plot twist after another until you start saying "really"? 13 Sins is directed by David Stamm, who gave us The Last Exorcism in 2010. While The Last Exorcism generated buzz around him, it quickly fizzled out, resulting in this half baked attempt at reinvigorating the Saw franchise with a bit more "jazz". This film plays out like your typical Netflix movie, it features usually supporting actors in lead roles and a screenplay that is so terrible that Ed Wood wouldn't even touch it. 13 Sins is ridiculous, preposterous and downright stupid when it is all said and done. My biggest problem with this film is the screenplay because, by traditional standards, the technical side of this film isn't all that bad. The script is an ill conceived and very poor attempt at giving the audience that "ah ha" moment without it every really making sense. Despite these major flaws, 13 Sins features a cast lead by Mark Webb and Ron Perlman, who both do their best given their parts. Quite frankly, the cast is the only reason to give this film a watch. Overall, 13 Sins is best to be watched on Netflix, if at all. It is a brisk 90 minute film that makes you feel every single minute of it without giving you anything to really hold on to.

I saw this film because it was recommended after seeing Nerve, due to a similar concept.

Acting is good. Writing is good. Seeing Tara from True Blood in it was awesome and she had great chemistry with the main character which was nice. It was great to see her in a different role.

I like films like this because it tells a good story.

I would love to see more films like this but as far as I know Nerve and Cheap Thrills are the only similar ones.

Great ride, dark, good, feels more like real life then other fantasy films.

A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game of risks for Elliot, a down-on-his luck salesman. The game promises increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last.

Although I have not seen the original and therefore cannot compare, I found the concept here to be pretty great. In some ways it complements the recent "Would You Rather" film with Jeffrey Combs and June Squibb. Director Daniel Stamm ("The Last Exorcism") has done a fine job mixing suspense and very, very dark comedy.

Mark Webber ("Scott Pilgrim vs. the World") is an incredible lead, going from nice guy to demented as the film progresses. This is a range of acting rarely seen in mainstream roles. And then we have Ron Perlman, who you cannot help but love.

There are plenty of good twists throughout the film, from the first five minutes and on. Some reviews say the film "unravels" as it goes on, but I would strongly disagree. Maybe you will not like the direction it goes, but it does anything but "unravel" -- the plot just keeps getting more intense...

A voice on the phone takes people on a life and death ride for cash prizes. Elliot Brindle is a meek nice-guy salesman expecting a promotion but gets fired instead. He cares for his mentally handicapped brother Michael. He's in debt and his girlfriend Shelby is pregnant. He's forced to take in his angry racist father who is getting evicted. He gets a phone call claiming that he's on a hidden camera show. The voice tells him that he could win prizes for completing 13 challenges. At first, the tasks are relatively easy and the money is real. Soon, manipulations force him to continue the dangerous game and any failure would take away the money already won. Police detective Chilcoat (Ron Perlman) takes on the seemingly random series of petty crimes by the same man.

This is a Blumhouse production and a remake of a Thai horror. It needs a bigger name in the Elliot lead. Also, Elliot is too deliberately oblivious. With the threat to take away his money, he should play it safe by taking out the cash and closing his account. Of course, the voice can come back by upping his credit card charges. At least, he needs to show the brains to try to resist. It's an intriguing high concept idea but little nagging issues do persist. It's not really about the 13 challenges but rather a changing personality. In that sense, I do see the concept bearing some fruits.

330. 13 Sins. Meet Elliot, he's broke, he has to pay for his brother's medical care, dad might have to move in with him, cause he's broke too. But there's a bright side!! He's about to get married and has a big meeting with the boss tomorrow, looks the top salesman is going to get promoted... or could he be getting fired? Yep, that's it. But when one door closes another opens, or a phone call, as is the case here. Elliot receives a mysterious call from what seems to be game show, the caller asks if he wants to try it, and desperate Elliot goes for it. First challenge: Swat the fly that's buzzing around in his car for some cash... how'd they know about the fly??? Second challenge: Eat the fly for some more cash. And as you may have guessed, it just keeps getting worse, or better, depending how you look at it. Make it through 13 challenges, walk away with a ton of cash and no repercussions for your actions, refuse the challenge and well, quite the opposite is true. Pretty sweet paranoid thriller type flick, especially cause they're watching you right now. Filmbufftim on FB.