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.

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

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.

To be honest, Kill Theory wasn't high on my "Must watch of '09" list. Actually, it wasn't on there at all. But, I had the chance to, so I figured I might as well do. Let me tell you, I'm glad I did. Kill Theory is one of the best Horror films in ages. I know what you're thinking. "If it's so great, then why haven't I heard of it?" You have your friends down at LionsGate to blame for that. Here they have a perfectly good movie on their hands and they won't release it for only God knows why. Perhaps these early good reviews might prompt them to, but don't hold your breath on it. After all, this is LionsGate.

Kill Theory is about a group of 6 college friends who head off to a secluded vacation home for fun and... well, I think you know. But, before they can get to any of that, they are targeted by a mysterious killer who forces them to kill off their friends -- or be killed themselves. Let's just say that there's a bloody, gory mess left behind.

Think you know who survives? Think again. There is no virgin blonde girl with big boobs who manages to easily defeat the killer even though her friends couldn't. The body count is completely random and unpredictable. I couldn't believe who survived, that being due to the fact that all the characters are developed so very well. I also couldn't believe the last-minute twist which is executed so well that I was left just gaping at the screen.

The acting is good and so are the production values, so half the time you don't even feel like you're watching a DTV flick.

Honestly, if LionsGate doesn't give this movie the treatment it deserves, then something's definitely outta wack. If they can give wide releases to crap like Disaster Movie, then they should have no problem with this solid slasher flick.

I highly recommend this movie if you're a fan of teen slice 'em ups or even if you're not. Fans of the Saw series should like it also since it has quite a few similarities to those movies.

Final Verdict: 10/10, 2009 looks set to be a good year for Horror with movies such as My Bloody Valentine 3-D (also distributed by LionsGate) and the reboot of Friday the 13th.

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.

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.

NO SPOILERS UNTIL THE END - CLEARLY MARKED

This was your run of the mill, formulaic slasher film. The setup is the same setup you see in all films of this genre.. Group of teenagers/young 20 somethings going away on some trip to a secluded area where cell service doesn't seem to work - you have the usual interaction between the characters to set up who is who, the usual make out sessions to show you who is coupled with who, a few remarks about things that happened prior to the trip you don't care about to give you back story and it's all just a waiting game until the villain strikes. Kill Theory is no different.

Brent and 6 of his friends go on a trip to one of his Father's many homes for a fun weekend. This large home is secluded with the closest establishment nearly 50 miles away. When they arrive, they find Alex, Brent's half sister (her Mother married his rich Father) who was also planning on staying at the home for the weekend so of course she joins the core group bringing the total number of people staying in the home to 8.

The premise of the movie is that there is a deranged mad man who has apparently been stalking the main group for weeks who followed them to the home and has now demanded that by 6am the next morning only one of them be alive - they must kill each other to survive. He gruesomely kills one of them to send the message that he's serious and it's a message left on his/her body that leads them to a video that the man left for them explaining the rules. In the video they see their friend given the option to shoot his/her girlfriend/boyfriend who was sleeping at the time or die himself/herself. He/She refused and he kills him/her on camera. If you want to live, you need to kill your friends, period.

It's an interesting premise but far from new. Criminal Minds did it much better in 2006 with the episode 'North Mammon' - which had better acting, a better script and was a lot more interesting and psychologically disturbing. Kill Theory has a lot of blood and a lot of screaming but not a lot of good acting, not a lot of great dialogue and not a lot of realism given how some people die..or don't die.

Daniel Franzese plays Freddy who, for me, was unbearably annoying throughout the film. It's a bad sign when you spend minute after minute wishing he would shut up and die already and then being afraid that he'll be the survivor at the end and essentially be around the entire film. His hyperventilating and subsequent loud breathing was really hard to sit through as were his constant outbursts, freak outs and screams. I wanted to reach into the screen and kill him myself. He definitely downgraded the movie for me - scenes were hard to sit through because he wouldn't shut the heck up.

3/10 It mildly held my attention but it wasn't anything great. There is a twist at the end that was decent I guess but the majority of the film is your usual formulaic slasher stuff and none of it is spectacular.

SPOILERS -

I didn't have a problem when Brent was shot and then was able to get back up to kill Freddy because he was shot on his side and may not have been fatally wounded but just pretended he was. However, I had a big problem with how Amber seemed to gain strength as her injury should have been getting worse. She was shot point blank at close range with a 9mm handgun straight to the gut - dead center. She of course immediately goes down and starts bleeding heavily and has to be dragged down to the basement where she's left dying on the floor - so when she magically stopped being fatally injured and had enough strength to not only stab Jennifer which takes some force but to then prop herself up on top of her to choke her out? Was that supposed to be insulting to my intelligence? Is there a reason why she seemed to get better as time went on from her gunshot? Even after she kills Jennifer, she doesn't collapse and die but she continues to sit up, is completely alert and then interacts with Michael, the last male standing. Had I not seen her get shot, I wouldn't have even known she was injured based on how carefree she was at the very end.

As for Michael, why would he kill himself? Killing himself for Jennifer would be stupid but at least he loved her and she was his girlfriend but for Amber? He didn't even care about her - she was obsessed with him and other than a hook up, they didn't seem to have anything between them yet this guy is murdering himself for her? STUPID. That was plot motivated since Amber was the one who was going to survive at the end, not character driven because it makes no sense at all why Michael would kill himself just so that girl could live.

The whole sequence at the end hurt my head it was so dumb.

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.

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

I want the 80 minutes of my life back that it took to watch this.

About 6 twenty-somethings are stuck at someone's summer house. The potentials for a fun weekend are there: nice babes, a lake and boat, plenty of beer ...and a gun.

There are plenty of bare midriffs, suggestive talk then blood soaked clothing and various amputated human limbs.

Some evil mastermind is watching over the entire scene and provides miscellaneous electronic communication via walkie talkies, video tapes and the like.

The mastermind is trying to get the twenty-somethings to kill each other. The last man (or girl) standing gets a prize...a blood soaked fruit cake or A BRAND NEW CAR??? Don't bother to watch this...take a nap instead.

I rate this: "zzzzzzzzzz"

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.

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.

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.

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.

A man makes a life and death decision that leads the the death of three of his friends. He's jailed, undergoes treatment and eventually released but told by some arrogant doctor who oversees his treatment that no sane person would ever make such a decision. The man goes on to test this out by seeking out the doctor's son and the son's friends who are vacationing at an isolated country home, trapping them in the house and forcing them to make a similar life and death decision.

For the most part everything is fair and competent: acting, direction dialogue, visual and audio. And, there are some disturbing but well-done gore scenes.

Even though the premise seems somewhat different, the movie is built on the same framework as every other teen slasher flick. The people are killed one by one and you can pretty much predict who will die next.

So, the movie isn't bad, it's just not anything new. And, if you want to see something from this horror genre, there are better movies out there.

I'm from Colombia and i didn't even heard about this movie until the moment i saw it. it just surprises me that this movie hasn't been show into the light. it's a thrilling, fast-paced, edge of your seat thriller. even thought the beginning is slow and clichéd, the other 60 minutes are full of well built tension and strong character development. it gives you all the stereotypes of horror movies and then it kind of twisted of. i have to say that if you expect a Saw-esquire movie, you will be bored because it's not so graphic and the ending is not so manufactured. it has everything to become a success ( funny moments,great killings and a great ending). it's incredible that lions gate hide this one and releases that Dane Cook crap. the only thing that bothers me a little is the ending . i just, i wasn't expecting it at all. the other thing was Daniel Franzese's character. really annoying and out of nowhere.

So if you want to spend a nice ( even thought bloody and thrilling )time this one is just perfect for you. 4 stars out 5

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).

After being released from a mental institution, an insane rock-climber-turned-friend-murderer begins to stalk down a group of recently graduated friends. The killer follows them to their remote vacation home and turns their peaceful night into a Battle Royale-style fight for survival. The only rule: Kill or be killed.

After seeing Chris Moore's production style during the filming of 'Feast' on the since-canceled 'Project Greenlight,' I became a fan of his and respected the rare way he seemed to genuinely care about the film he was producing. As director for the first time, Moore took the helm of another low-budget horror film. That film is 'Kill Theory.' It's only natural to think that Moore would show even more care and love for the film as director than as producer; he did, and it was apparent. The plot is a bit of a turn-off at first for me. It's basically just a ripoff of 'Saw' (and similar films that came before) with extra freedom, like the ability to walk around instead of being chained to a toilet. However, one thing that indie productions have going for them is that no matter how SIMILAR a film is to another, it will probably still feel like genius originality in comparison to what Hollywood is producing. Therefore, in the current state of horror, I am not going to whine about wavering originality, but instead enjoy what's provided. As far as some basic elements go. . . the acting is average, which is to be expected at this level. No one really excelled all that much, and there were only one or two cases of real disappointment (like Amber, who conveyed less emotion than a sleeping Keanu Reeves). The characters they portrayed were strikingly similar to those in the 'Friday the 13th' interquel (though I'm fairly certain 'Kill Theory' was filmed first), including the group of pretty rich kids and the 'outsider' who enters on their good time. One thing that made me laugh about their characters was their extreme dislike for any electrical devices. Over the course of five minutes, the characters threw to the ground and broke a video camera, voice recorder, and walkie talkie (and later, a clock), for no real reason other than, I guess, frustration? The walkie talkie was probably the dumbest as her frustration came from a lack of contact. . . while she was underground in a stone-walled basement (?). Anyway, the writing, as far as story progression goes, wasn't awful; but, I do think the dialogue could've used another shine-up. Moore's direction, especially as a rookie effort, was very impressive and made for a good-looking film. This just goes to show what work within the film industry can do PRIOR to making the first film (aspiring filmmakers take note that there is no better training than actually being on set). Beyond that, the basic horror elements are in place and work well. It does have some genuine scares, the suspense is clear and solid, and it's an entertaining watch. There are some glaring problems and the story could've used a couple more twists & turns to keep it more exciting; but, overall, 'Kill Theory' is a strong thriller that can definitely hold its own in the modern horror game. Worth a watch.

Final Verdict: 6.5/10.

-AP3-

For a 2009 movie, Kill Theory kicked major ass. It was in the vein of the Saw movies, except with teenagers pitted against an unseen killer, with deadly intentions. This movie is an awesome teenage slasher film , which centers on a group of college friends who stay the weekend at a friends home deep in the wilderness for a weekend to remember, which becomes a bloody fight for survival. Kill theory features some of the most brutal and inventive death scenes, worth checking out. This movie had a sexy and delicious cast including one of my favorite actresses, Agnes Bruckner (Venom and Blood and Chocolate and Vacancy 2), hot new comer Ryanne Duzich (Friday Night Lights) and Taryn Manning (8 Mile and The Breed). These three sexy ladies make this movie hot and sexy and scary as hell. If anyone comes across this movie, in a store or on amazon.com, i urge you to buy, you definitely wont be disappointed!

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

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

When I first read the reviews on IMDb, I expected to see a great film and I must say it lived up to my expectations. The plot is much more believable than that of SAW where there are many plot holes (how are the victims kidnapped?). In this movie, there are no plot holes like that. It's just a series of logical causes and effects and even the guy who freaks out and loses his control doesn't break the cause and effect chain.

The characters act very well and their reactions are quite believable. Anyway, for horror/thriller fans this is a must-sea. You're not going to find any movies as good as this that easily.

I went into this movie with such high expectations that I can't even describe. I was so excited because my friends saw it and told me it was awesome and the entire plot of this movie sounded cool. When I went to Blockbuster and rented it, I could barely wait to watch it. Then I put it in, watched it, and was upset. I didn't get exactly what I wanted. I thought it would be way different than it actually was. So I was pretty upset with the way it turned out. Then I watched it again last night and this time I knew what was going to happen so I thought it would be even worse, but then I watched it and it turned out to be one of my favorite movies. Since I went in the first time with such high expectations, it kind of sucked because I wasn't "watching the movie". But then I watched it for what it was, and what it was, and what it is was very good. I suggest renting it, or buying it.

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.

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 picture opens with Walter getting out of a psychiatric institution after three years for killing three of his friends. Walter and Karl discuss this for nuances. Karl wants to see how well Walter does in the next year, and schedules regular visits.

The film transitions to another environment where Walter can another kill-the-group exercise. Brent and Amber, Michael and Jennifer, Carlos and Nicole, the heavy loner Freddie, and the biker girl Alex. The group celebrates (early) their upcoming graduation at a remote vacation house that belongs to Michael's family.

After a night of drinking and story telling, they retire for the evening. Nicole gets up to get a snack, and Walter grabs her. He offers her the choice of killing Carlos or being murdered herself. She chose the latter; Walter records the whole thing, then throws Nicole's corpse through a window onto Carlos. Michael tries to get his father's rifle from the basement, but Walter had already taken it, In its place he left many photos from the preceding two weeks. Walter calls them on a radio and tells him that they have to kill each other for any of them to survive (winner take all or all lose). Michael and Carlos go out to get the pistol in his father's boat. The boat has been sunk, and Carlos gets badly injured on the way back. Michael leaves Carlos there since Michael thought he was dead.

What's left? It's classic elimination derby. Whom can one trust? Do we have to hear every detail from Walter's first killing spree?

------Scores-------

Cinematography: 10/10 Nicely shot, including the majority of the film which was shot in low-light.

Sound: 8/10 No real problems.

Acting: 3/10 Lousy. I've seen worse, but not too much worse.

Screenplay: 3/10 Ordinary. The victims are very unimaginative, which eliminated most of their possibilities. As it was, the victims did most of the killer's work for him. The histrionics were not all that interesting, and did not illustrate motivations all that well. For instance, why did these 'friends' have so much energy devoted to killing each other in very messy, inefficient ways?