Iris’s (Brittany Snow) younger brother, Raleigh (Logan Miller), is seriously ill. He is currently in need of a bone marrow transplant, and as the waitlist seemingly never ends and a donor appears not to exist, the likelihood that he will survive much longer seems slim. One day Iris is approached by a friend of the family’s doctor, an eccentric entrepreneur, who promises a great number of things. This apparent millionaire--Shepard Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs)--promises Iris money, levity from the pains her and her brother face and a guaranteed donor as Raleigh will be able skip the waitlist. In order to get everything she needs, Iris must compete in a game. Unbeknownst to her, there is much more to this game than is initially understood. She unwillingly agrees to participate in a demented game of Would You Rather, putting her life on the line. Can she survive the horrifically twisted game in order to save her brother or will she crumble and fail, leaving Raleigh to an uncertain and painful future?
Would You Rather is a low-budget horror/thriller that, on the surface, appears to be nothing more than a demented blood-bath. Audiences (including myself) expected this film to be nothing more than a twisted escape from reality filled with blood, gore and the occasional subpar joke. However, not long into the film, it became obvious that there was more to the story than anyone originally believed to be the case. The suspense present almost immediately after audiences meet Iris is prevalent throughout the film and leads audiences down a road of nail biting and uncertainty.
This unwieldy path makes Would You Rather difficult to look away from. Even with the constant torture and sadistic games, audiences are forced to focus on what is taking place in order to relieve themselves of some angst and uncomfortability as it allows viewers the ability to see the potential silver lining within each scene.
The suspense, angst and uncomfortability are provided through a series of smaller aspects of the film, including the music, the scenery and the demeanor of the main characters. From the opening moments, the dark, drab and dreary backdrops and the unappealing visuals present lead audiences to believe that something horrible is coming. Viewers don’t know what is coming or when it’s coming, but they know it’s coming. The eerily familiar music does only one thing, drag viewers to the edge of their seat, and keeps them there throughout the course of Would You Rather, and that is more than enough.
The final aspect that escorts viewers down a road of despair is the acting. There are two reasons why the acting makes the audiences feel this way. The first is that the majority of the actors fail to entertain. Actors like Sasha Grey (Amy), Robb Well (Peter) and June Squibb (Linda) fail to deliver their lines appropriately and ultimately leave audiences feeling annoyed and underwhelmed. On the contrary, however, Snow, Combs and Enver Gjokaj (Lucas) do a wonderful job of portraying their characters and delivering their lines in such a way that viewers have no choice but to feel for them in one way or another. Due to the seriousness of the content of the film, audiences remain anxiety-ridden as they hope for the best possible outcome for many of the characters. The ability of writer Steffen Schlachtenhaufen and director David Guy Levy to create a bond between the audience and the characters, even when there is minimal development, is interesting and commendable.
The overall tone of Would You Rather is dark and demented, intriguing a particular type of viewer. The acting abilities of Snow, Gjokaj and Combs allow a wide-range of audiences to appreciate what is taking place and find a connection to the story. Would You Rather is not overtly intriguing in any particular way, but Levy and Schlachtenhaufen use what they have to deliver a slightly far-fetched, but admirable story nonetheless. As audiences are invested in the things taking place throughout the film, the final moments of the film deliver a shocking (but somewhat foreseeable) blow that, in many ways, ruins everything about the story. With this unnecessary, but pivotal plot twist, Would You Rather, is ultimately knocked down a few pegs. Enjoy the story and the characters, but expect a let down by the film’s end.
Directed by David Guy Levy. Written by Steffen Schlachtenhaufen. Starring Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, Jonny Coyne, Enver Gjokaj, Sasha Grey, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments