New Artists Alliance, Snowfort Pictures,
Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton, David Koechner, Amanda Fuller, Laura Covelli
Two friends, Craig Daniels (Pat Healy), a broke husband who is about to be evicted from his home, and Vince (Ethan Embry) run to each other in a bar. Craig has just lost his job and is delaying going home to face his wife. The two are exchanging stories when the meet an enormously rich couple, Colin (David Koechner) and his girlfriend Violet (Sara Paxton) who is celebrating her birthday. Colin keeps making bets with Craig and Vince to do stupid things for large amounts of cash, and they get into trying to outdo each other. Later they go home with Violet and Colin where the dares get stranger and more violent and more and more degrading. How much abuse can a person tolerate before they break?
This is a very dark movie. I mean, this could really gross out the strongest dark drama fan! There are really bad things shown here as things escalate and escalate. But though it is very far off the mainstream in terms of dark and disgusting, still it was a very interesting character study. Why would anyone do this, and what is Violet’s role in the process. She is a voyeur for the most part, but does nothing to stop it or say that it’s over the top. Is she down with it, or is she disgusted too? We don’t know. There seem to be people like Colin around, but we have no idea where he got his money to burn or why it’s so worthless to him. And what would make him want to torture somebody. But no doubt this is a story of Craig who is the main focus of the story. He wants to stop, but what is it that keeps him going? Is it only the financial problems? Or is there more behind his actions? Many of the questions won’t be answered, but if you’re up for taking on the gross and gore of cut off appendages and the like, then it is a very interesting character study and an intense movie. Just keep in mind that dark doesn’t even touch how awful the actions in this film are to watch, so beware if you’re easily offended!
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
