Prank (2013)

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

When this one came out here in Europe it was immediately sold for a few Euro's. That made me pick up this Blu Ray guess it was 2 or 3 Euro's and the cover looked promising. The story is very simple. After being bullied for years it's time for revenge and a prank is set-up. But you have to sit throughout almost the whole flick to see the prank. It takes over 40 minutes before the red stuff comes in and things go awry you think. But two minutes later we are back to blah blah and that's exactly what we do have here. A lot of talking. The only thing I started watching was Connor's T-shirts. They were mostly funny. I could stand up to the hand held camera and the shaky movements. Yes, another found footage flick. But an extreme boring one. I just kept watching it to see of something would happen in stead of talking, it didn't.Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 0/5 Story 1/5 Comedy 0/5

Potentially, this film could have been a seriously disturbing flick. The reason it failed in my eyes wasn't because of the hand-held cam, it wasn't even that the acting was extremely dreadful, as it was in fact acceptable enough. When taking on a subject like this, there should be one major goal in the filmmakers minds of the utmost importance, make the story as realistic & believable as possible no matter what the cost, this just didn't occur. The story consists of three social outcast nerds who, after years of abuse & bullying, decide it's time to stand up & turn the tables on one particular bully named Dax. It's the summer before their senior year and they feel as though maybe, if done correctly, this prank will redeem them in the eyes of their fellow classmates and possibly win the affection of a certain girl who one of them happens to have a crush on. Of course all of this is to be filmed & posted on the internet in hopes of a colossal payday which will finance the other boy's dream of hitting thirteen Star Trek conventions in a row, yes, lame indeed. Which brings me to another area of the film in which I felt was just lazy & completely unimaginative, the cardboard, cookie-cutter characters of the three nerds. They adhered to making them the most clichéd bunch of geeks ever concocted. Which was ultimately forgivable when looking at the big picture and the overall effect in which they were sequentially reaching for, to make the viewer uncomfortable, unsettled and inherently disturbed. A goal that was just not met.I won't go into specifics of the plot that I felt led to the overall downfall of the film's believability, but I will say that the prank within a prank was not concealed well, it was completely obvious to me and it crippled the film's credibility beyond repair. The plot became completely disjointed & ultimately contradicted the premise set forth in the beginning. I know what they were reaching for here because I've seen it accomplished in other films quite well, where the viewer becomes immersed into the story and is left shocked & disturbed at the film's end because it was in fact so believable, not so in this case. I don't recommend wasting your time with this.

This movie was definitely a surprise for me. I had seen some of the reviews and expected a really good movie. . .but I had no idea of how wonderfully unsettling and unforgettable it was going to be. Yiuwing Lam (Writer/Director) is such a compelling storyteller- weaving a dark humor, wit and intelligence throughout the entire screenplay. He used a "found footage" technique to tell the story, but some of the shots he sets up with lighting and shadows are so artistic. And I just couldn't take my eyes off Henry Monfries. His acting was so natural and every move.. .so authentic. And Nick Renaud deftly takes you on an emotional journey while still feeling so real. Something that stood out to me was this one line about perseverance. Both main actors say the same exact line for polar opposite reasons and there is something about that; it intrigued me. I keep coming back to that line in my mind. Overall, during the movie I laughed (albeit, nervously), I was creep-ed out, I was relieved and then. . .well, I can't tell you anymore. A must-see! In fact. . .I must see this again.

It's hard for me to sit through most independent films because they either look awful or are boring. Or worse, both. I understand that due to the lack of a big budget, an indie film won't look slick like the Hollywood films we are used to. But there is no reason for being boring--it's entertainment!! With that being said, this film is neither. Gripping and fast, with clever dialogue, it moves at a pace that forces you to pay attention. The premise is these two friends video taping themselves while trying to get back at their bully. And then it all goes to hell. You will not expect how it all ends. You think it's going to go one way and then it yanks you in the other, again and again. And as dark as the story is, there are some extremely funny moments. I really liked this film because it was funny, entertaining, and gripping. The phenomenal acting by the cast is also worth noting as we've all witnessed how bad acting can wreck a good story. My expectations of this film were absolutely exceeded. I wasn't sure I wanted to attend when I was invited to the premiere screening but I'm glad I went! The best part is, it's one of those films that keep you thinking about the themes of the film, the motivations of the characters, and the questions it raises after you've walked out of the theater.