Would You Rather

This is is the problem with these kinds of movies; you can only make it as good as you can. What I mean is, a doctor inviting patients over to his 20 million dollar mansion for a chance to win money, only to have it be a trap and a torture-fest, can only be so good, right?

Yeah, because it would pretty much never happen. Give the script to Martin Scorsese and even he will only be able to do so much. The plot to this movie is paper thin, unquestionably. These kinds of horror movies are such an unreasonable stretch that it makes you roll you eyes. Even paranormal horror movies are usually more lenient to the viewers eyes because they, the viewer, can be like, "well, maybe all this stuff is possible."

But for what this movie is, it's pretty entertaining. Even though you don't know practically anything about the characters, the "would you rather" scenes are pretty damn intense. And throughout the game you find yourself putting your feet in their shoes. Even though it's a cheesy movie, it kept me entertained and curious. I don't usually go for these types of films but I won't lie when I say that I wasn't bored watching the movie, and that I also thought it had a strong atmosphere to it. 6/10.

Desperate to help her ailing brother, a young woman (Brittany Snow) unknowingly agrees to compete in a deadly game of "Would You Rather," hosted by a sadistic aristocrat (Jeffrey Combs).

There are two issues I have with this film that I would like to get out of the way from the beginning: first, the complete implausibility of the whole thing. The plot assumes that none of the guests told their friends or families where they were going, and that somehow everyone involved can keep quiet about the events. This seems beyond the realm of possibility, but for the sake of the story, I would let it slide.

Second, I have mixed feelings about the score. While some of it was excellent, other parts seems very repetitive and overpowered the film itself. I might even go so far as to say it deserved a better rating if the music was toned down.

That being said, there are plenty of good things to say about the film. The overall concept is very chilling, and far more disturbing than the average horror film. Some might put this in the "torture porn" subgenre of horror, but I felt like it never sunk to the depths of "Hostel" or the later "Saw" films. If anything, the structure was more like "13" (2010). These are events that could happen (again, if we ignore the overall implausibility) rather than a man who stalks us in our dreams.

The doctor subplot was excellent, and well-scripted. It was possibly the best part. Jeffrey Combs was nice to see, actually getting more than a cameo. Stealing the show, though, was Sasha Grey, an actress who made her name in the adult film business (the one in a million who an successfully make the transition). Her character (Amy) is the wild card that brings the situation towards complete chaos, and that is where the game gets challenging.

No masterpiece by any means, but with the right editing, this could have been a slightly stronger film. Either way, it was still better than half of the movies I see...

"Would You Rather," is a decent, low budget. thriller about desperate people put in horrible situations for the entertainment of a wealthy sadist.

Brittany Snow is a decent actress, but this definitely wasn't her best effort. The movie plot was OK, and I did appreciate that they didn't just go with the usual copy "Saw" plot that most of these movies use. That being said, the things that happen in this movie are just a bit lacking in creativity. The script was pretty lame, and there was generally a lot more needed to build some suspense and really make it memorable on any real level. Ex pornstar Sasha Grey is in this movie. She looks beautiful, but again the script was just way too lean to see if she could really act (I give her a pass on the bad reviews of "The Girlfriend Experience" because it was a Soderbergh movie, and I hate his movies anyway).

All in all, I give it all a 5. To me Brittany Snow and Jeffrey Combs are good enough actor that could have made it decent with a good script, and a bit better writing. The twist at the end was pretty standard and not surprising at all. It's decent if you have nothing else to watch.

People don't seem to really like this movie, but I think that's because it shows us a side of human nature we don't really want to see. In the ultimate position of chosing to help others or throw them under the bus for our own sake, most people don't want to admit which choice they'd take. An excellent film that shows us that our morality is ultimately as flexible as our circumstances dictate

And as confusing as that may sound, I stand by it firmly.

Would You Rather's main plot lines have been done time and time again... Helpless protagonist struggles with own morals after being thrust into a lose-lose situation.

Been there. Seen that.

But that being said, Would You Rather is an extremely well made movie in the realm of cinematography, character development, and pacing. No cheap thrills or gore-for-the-sake-of-gore here -- which in itself is always refreshing when it comes to modern horror movies.

There were a few unique twists and turns, but not enough to call it a strikingly original feature.

I would still recommend this as a watch, if only on a day you can't find anything decidedly better and really need to get your horror fix. Not entirely unsatisfying, but not as effective as it would have been if only a bit of originality were at play.