Horror films are a hard genre to please an audience. Since the SAW and HOSTEL torture porn 'revolution', there is a constant pursuit to up the ante. It's all been done before yadda yadda.
So I read the reviews here and went in with baited breath to a screening at Harbourtown Cinemas on the Gold Coast, not knowing much about the film apart from Facebook (did this film even get any advertising!?)
So the set-up of the relationship between the 7 friends is kind of cool, some interesting takes on teen stereotypes, and witty banter from a bunch of mostly newcomer actors. Some familiar faces such as Ryan Corr (soon to be seen in Wolf Creek 2) and Penelope Mitchell (Hemlock Grove), in fact this film seems to have been around for ages and a lot of the actors have moved on to bigger and better projects.
Anyway, I think the writing is commendable, with a touch of the Whedon-esque in the dialog, and establishes the likable group before things go awry.
When 6 of the 7 teens disappear, there is real tension here, which surprised me as some of the reviews here are a bit harsh. There is a real attempt to make the technology real, using phones and devices we all use (albeit a little outdated - a clue to the long gestation of the movie!) and Brie (Alice Darling) is convincingly terrified as she seeks to rescue her friends.
From what I have read this movie was made on a shoe-string budget, but it looks great. The screening I saw looked great, and far beyond the $2 million budget reported. The plot has some clichés, yes, and there are some references to other films of the genre, namely Buried and Saw, yes, but aren't most popcorn fodder movies a mix of movies past?
I got the sense that it had been somewhat watered down, with an almost deliberate avoidance of any real gore. Don't know if that is going to please everyone, especially the lovers of the fore-mentioned films, but not everything has to be blood, guts and gore. There is a vast history of films that work well by what you do NOT see...
I thought the action that ramped up in the second half was engaging and pacey, and look, at only 90 minutes, frankly I found it a nice change from movies that are 2-hours+ these days. It's a popcorn movie, largely forgettable, but a fun ride.
Anyway, I know it is fashionable to hang it on movies and be nasty, but I found 6 Plots to be a commendable effort, quite well directed, with a pretty good cast and a decent script.
I enjoyed the thrill, felt I got my $17.50 worth and had fun. Isn't that the point of movies like this? IMHO.
