Friday, March 28, 2014

Cheap Thrills for Greed and Blood Money: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a theatrical screening of this film was provided by Sinister Cinema.

Director: E.L. Katz.

Writers: David Chirchirillo and Trent Haaga.

Cast: Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton and David Koechner.

Raven Banner Entertainment and Sinister Cinema released another thrilling title, called Cheap Thrills, March 27th. This film played in several Canadian cities, for one night only. First time director E.L. Katz delivered a bloody good time with this feature as two men competed for blood money. Vince (Ethan Embry) and Craig (Pat Healy) are in the spotlight for much of the film. And, these two friends find greed more important than any comradery. Truly disturbing, Cheap Thrills is one of the most disturbing indie thrillers to come out this year.

The film's story is much like a reality game show. The two contestants, Vince and Craig, compete for money, while performing debaucherous acts. Craig has to forget his marriage vows for one bet and Vince has to get slapped by a hooker for two hundred dollars. Both men humiliate themselves for cold, hard cash. As well, the action is brought about by Colin (David Koechner), for his wife's entertainment. Violet seems bored by much of the bloody show. And, one question remains; who is all of this violence serving?

The violence is not serving Vince very well. Vince is a collections agent. He uses intimidation to recoup money from debtors. He is loud and obnoxious, but always up for a good time. This character draws his friend, Craig, into a tangled web and he is also the one who plans a poorly thought out robbery. Vince initiates much of the action onscreen, but he does not finish much of it.

Craig is the foil to Vince. Craig is quiet and shy, initially. He is the underdog, with a heart of gold. Also, he is passive to Vince's aggression. Though, this character becomes just as bloodthirsty as Vince, in later scenes. Craig develops, while Vince continues to lose in a series of competitions. These two characters play off each other rather well.

Both of these characters partake in a brutal series of challenges for Violet's (Sara Paxton) amusement. It is Violet's birthday after all. And, much of the action is brought about for her own excitement. Violet does not initiate the violence directly, but through her husband. Though, she seems to relish in much of the bloodsport. So, Vince and Craig are much like gladiators vying for their patron's affection. Yet, only one man can leave this arena alive.

Cheap Thrills is a well shot indie feature. The film is indie in nature for a few reasons. The film uses one primary set, for much of the film. As well, there are only a few characters in this title and the action is relegated to a few short brief bursts of violence. There are no elaborate scenes here and the excitement is generated by the film's tense story. Director Katz captures all of the action in a compelling fashion. Katz shoots through windows and with a shaky camera. This shooting style may make viewers feel like they are a guest at this sadistic party. Many of the shots are interiors, with the camera moving outside only occassionally. This shooting style enhanced the action on the screen, despite the film's limited budget.

Cheap Thrills is an excellent indie thriller. Full of gory scenes and difficult choices, this film is loaded with dark comedy. This watcher laughed out loud through several sections as Vince and Craig dueled on the big screen. All of the performances were delivered believably, with Pat Healy bringing a lot of emotion to the protagonist. Overall, Cheap Thrills is recommended for fans of thrillers, as long as you do not have a queasy stomach, nor a love for small animals.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10.

A trailer for the film is available here:

A Cheap Thrills Trailer is Here


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