Truth or Dare (2013)

Very well executed

Load of rubbish!!

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

It takes more guts then what you see strewn around the set in the movie to even think of making a film this extreme in this day and age and for that, a big hats off. Unlike a movie such as "Hostel" that tugs at you because you come to like some of it's characters, just to see them brutally killed and tortured, none of the characters in this movie are likable people, a fact that might have killed the film if it did not give the audience license to thoroughly enjoy watching these idiots sit there and get mutilated out of fear of getting shot until there are not enough left to properly make a go at the antagonist. You would almost think that a stupid concept, but then even in reality few people tap into the fight controls in their brain during any thing like this situation. The acting was hit and miss, offering up the cheesy overacted reactions to certain lines of dialogue and events that take place but all in all you see this play out with the strongest cast members being the ones left alive to carry the last quarter of the movie. Lots of gore, lots of unsavory topics touched on as each character has their darkest secrets revealed.the sound was a little canny at times, typical of indy films, it seems sound is the hardest obstacle to work through. It's content limits it audience as many would not have the stomach to sit through it, but in it's place offers a good solid showing of not being afraid to take those risks to do a movie most would play it too safe to even make. There were a few too many goofy comedy moments for my taste in a movie this extreme. I am more of the whole play up the agony,and tragedy of the tale with something this over the top to make a real gripping experience. That is just a matter of personal tastes though. All in all I was satisfied with it and it is worth a look, even referred some fans of torture films to it on FaceBook.

I genuinely enjoyed Truth or Dare quite a bit. Yes, it is not a large budget movie and yes, it's not loaded with giant Hollywood stars but that adds to the charm of this movie for me. It's odd saying that this movie charms me considering some of the things that happen. There is some great and twisted gore that I was impressed with. I thought it was well acted well directed and a great story. Personally, I thought Ryan Kiser was fantastic in this and it solidifies that I am now a fan. Support independent horror and check this one out. I feel that there's more passion and creativity in the independent horror than most mainstream lately. And for the people that are bashing the movie and comparing it to other movies that they love just go watch that movie or better yet go make your own movie. If it wasn't for young directors like Jessica Cameron and many others out there that are amazing we would be stuck with nothing but bad remakes of the movies we all watched as a kid.

Having seen three of the female members of the cast - Jessica Cameron, Devanny Pinn and Heather Dorff - on numerous film DVDs, I seized the opportunity to see the UK premiere of Truth or Dare in London where they all had major roles in a film which was the directorial debut of Jessica Cameron. In the previous films seen, I had appreciated that all three possessed the ability to make the maximum impact regardless of the screen time they were allocated and was interested to see how they fared in this film. I was certainly not disappointed.My attention was immediately captured by the opening scene an credit sequence and remained riveted for the full 84 minutes of the film. At the end of the film, I suddenly realised that I had been watching and thoroughly enjoying a film which apart from the opening few minutes was mainly located in one cramped room with most of the cast remaining in the same floor sitting position during the time that they were on screen. Obviously, it takes a successful combination and blending of various factors to achieve such a high level of audience attention and positive response throughout the length of a film in such a location and scene setting as experienced on this occasion. As far as I am concerned, some of these factors relevant to this film are: (a) Interesting storyline. Truth or Dare certainly possesses an original, imaginative and topical storyline based on the now popular style of Reality TV Shows which injected humour at unexpected moments which was immediately appreciated by the audience judging by the instant laughter generated who recognised the perfect timing by the actors delivering the lines. The story unfolded at a good pace throughout with not one moment of opportunity for the audience to be bored by unwarranted dialogue.(b) Excellent direction and camera-work. I was particularly impressed with the close up shots of faces and action. All the actors involved were clearly comfortable with the requirement to produce the necessary expressions for the close up sequences. Even the space tightness of the location there was a constant variation between focusing on individuals, couples and groups of characters as well as the occasional complete room location shot. All was very neatly accomplished.(c) Sound Effects/Soundtrack. Both sound effects and soundtrack were spot on and very effective with a touch or originality and appropriate to the occasion. I will not spoil the enjoyment of the viewing experience by mentioning one particular sound effect which I am sure was much appreciated by my fellow audience members.(d) Competent Acting. As mentioned previously, I have been impressed in the past productions by the performances of Jessica, Devanny and Heather and their excellent work throughout this film served to enhance their reputations. The other members of the cast, who were well selected, were new names to me but I will certainly be on the lookout for further examples of their work after admiring their contributions to this film. Ryan Kiser gave a flawless performance in a very difficult and demanding role. Many actors would have not been able to resist the temptation to go overboard with the delivery of the role and consequently lose the impact required but Ryan gave a very intelligent performance with astute presentation of verbal and movement requirements.When considering the mark to award the film, initially I was going to give it 9 out of 10 but on reflection I decided to award it a full 10 marks as I could find no reason to validly deduct a mark.

Review of 'Truth or Dare' (2014) Indie horror can be a difficult sell. There are those of us who cut our teeth in the genre when it was still essentially a homebrew industry, when huge amounts of money were made by movies produced by innovative kids with nothing more than a camera and inspiration. In recent years major studios have acknowledged the financial viability of horror movies and given us a raft of films that, whilst commercially successful, were watered-down imitations of the works we love. The colour palette changed to a sickly green-brown and violence became graphic for graphic's sake; shock value by gore and grue rather than by quality storytelling and atmosphere. Occasionally, an indie movie gets the mainstream recognition it deserves and gives its stars their break, a la the Soskas and 'American Mary'; more frequently one is marketed well and gains a mainstream audience who then find it to be derivative and boring tosh and the whole indie movement is pushed back into financial hibernation once again. It is into this market that Small Town Girl Productions releases Jessica Cameron's directorial debut 'Truth or Dare'. Whilst it's not in the same league as 'American Mary', and not much is in my opinion, it shows real promise from a fledgling talent.Like most low-budget horror, 'Truth or Dare' works within the parameters of a simple premise; an internet stunt show called 'Truth or Dare' posts videos pertaining to show cast members playing the eponymous game resulting in orchestrated faux-violence. The show gains notoriety by blurring the lines between reality and fiction, and when the group meet up at an isolated house to film their latest segment they are joined by Derik, a crazed fan who believes that true success can only be achieved by playing the game for real.The first thing to say about 'Truth or Dare' is that the plot is very thin in places; the opening act hits the beats you expect and characters respond according to type. As things progress, there are a number of revelations opening up some seriously interesting territory that are never really explored or additionally referenced. In fact it is easy to see the entire thing simply as an excuse for unpleasant people being made to do unpleasant things to each other by someone more unpleasant. The majority of the big reveals come via a single character who knows everyone's darkest, oldest secrets through means that are never explained beyond the 'I-am-your-biggest-fan' cliché. Still this is a low-budget indie horror and, as fans, we look past trite or wafer thin plotting to judge our chosen niche on its own merits. Despite my reservations about the convenient nature of the plot twists, I really enjoyed 'Truth or Dare'.The most striking thing is just how gory it is. There are some really gruesome deaths, both practically and emotionally, as the film progresses and the cast are forced to more extreme lengths to survive. Hardened as I am to genre flicks, there were a couple of scenes that were genuinely hard to watch; in much the same way that 'The Human Centipede' came out of a drunken conversation Tom Six had with his friends about how to punish sex offenders, I wonder if a similar discussion didn't give rise to some of the violence conceived of by Jessica Cameron and writing partner Jonathan Higgins. I admit to finding the opening half or so a little predictable but beyond that it seems like they were trying to constantly outdo themselves, both in terms of the graphic nature of the violence and of the cruelty on show. Cameron makes use of some excellent make-up effects, creative sound design, and quick edits to you leave with the impression that you have seen more than you actually have; a combination that serves to effectively disguise budgetary constraints.For an indie feature the actors are also excellent. Whilst the plot hints at some real emotional depth and conflict to these characters, it never really materialises and the cast do well with what they have. Cameron herself takes top billing as Jennifer and her performance is perfectly fine if unconvincing by comparison; the real stars of the show are Heather Dorff as Michelle and Devanny Pinn as Courtney who generate some real sympathy once the suffering starts. The male cast are also solid although their roles feel more truncated than their female counterparts, especially the excellent Brandon Van Vliet as Tony who is surprisingly likable given what his character is forced to admit. Special mention must also go to Ryan Kiser as superfan Derik; crazy is difficult to play and, whilst there were times when his performance was a little too manic for my taste, he does a great job of creating a wide-eyed, gleeful antagonist.'Truth or Dare' is a really fun movie; it's gruesome, has some very unusual deaths, and great special effects. Yes, the opening scenes are predictable and yes, the plot is very thin, but the sheer extent of different ideas thrown at the screen should be applauded. I suspect that this is exactly the film that Jessica Cameron set out to make too – a nasty, fun, low-budget indie horror movie – and her direction shows a good eye and real promise. As of writing 'Truth or Dare' is yet to secure a UK distribution deal and, sadly, may prove difficult to see on these shores. This is a shame as there is a sizeable market for this kind of film and I feel that it would do well; it won't win awards for its script but in terms of the amount of on screen carnage, in terms of shock value, and in terms of showing us the first beats of an interesting new director, 'Truth or Dare' comes highly recommended.