A Surprise or Two in Truth or Dare: A Movie Review

*here be minor spoilers.

Director: Robert Heath.

Writer: Matthew McGuchan.

Cast: Liam Boyle, Jack Gordon, Florence Hall, Nicky Henson, Jennie Jacques, Tom Kane, Jason Maza, and David Oakes.

Truth or Dare is a revenge thriller created by director Robert Heath. Heath recently completed another dramatic thriller titled Sus in 2010. Heath has cast a wide range of actors for his latest. Arguably, Jennie Jacques (Shank) and television actor David Oakes have the most acting experience. Eleanour (Jacques) and Justin (Oakes) are also coincidentally the two main villains in this picture with Felix (Tom Kane) acting as a quiet and shy protagonist. Truth or Dare transitions from a revenge thriller into a gory horror picture thanks to a few twists along the way. And, this film is an enjoyable watch despite a few awkward scenes.

The film's story is set up much like a trap in the first act. Justin invites several of his brother's friends to a remote cabin. Felix, Justin's brother, is nowhere to be found. It seems that a prank at a college party has led to Felix's suicide. Now, Justin wants to know who caused so much pain for his family. The five friends are not willing to divulge any info' as their predicament involves torture, restraint and belligerent questions. At some point, Justin's plans for humiliation are turned against him with the friends gaining the upper hand.

In Act II the story begins to change from a standard revenge thriller into more of a horror piece. Gemma (Florence Hall), one of the friends, manages to slip away from the torture party. She finds something on the estate that watchers might not be expecting. It seems death is only a matter of perception. Many more twists will come through Act III. The power shifts between characters until the male antagonist's role is changed to a more feminine one. And this second villain reveals tales of blackmail, sexual coercion and financial manipulation. There is a lot of evil unfolding here. Thus, a question emerges. With so many foul characters, who can act as a counter balance to all of these misdeeds? No one is up to the challenge.

There is still a lot to like in Truth or Dare, however. The final few scenes are full of backstabbing, face corroding and vicious scenes. Horror fans will not likely be disappointed by the amount of gore onscreen. Many reviews of this feature have questioned the acting. Yet, the story unfolds in a mostly believable fashion. The dialogue is never choppy and there are only one or two scenes that seem odd. For instance, a slow motion sequence at a grungy gas station seems more relevant on the catwalk than at this location. As well, the use of several plot devices and character reveals keep the story interesting. The ending seems to go over the top, but Truth or Dare comes across as a fun and bloody Saturday night film.

This title will be releasing on multiple formats throughout the month of August. Truth or Dare is recommended for fans of revenge thrillers or horror features. Many of the characters in this story are villainous. Therefore, there is little empathy for characters as they succumb to their injuries. There is only a brief moment of realization that Felix, a quiet and lonely young man, is the source of his own pain. It is just too bad that he brought so many others along for his torturous ride.

Overall: 7 out of 10 (lambasted by reviewers in the UK, an interesting story structure, suitable dialogue, some twists, enjoyable overall).

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