Would You Rather (2012) – Review

It is said that money is the root of all evil, and in this film, that is an understatement. Would You Rather is a film that takes one person’s desperation for money, and turns it into a battle for survival. The only question is: how far would you go to be rich?

Directed by David Guy Levy (A Love Affair of Sorts 2011) and starring Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect 2012), Jeffrey Combs (The Re-Animator franchise), and Rob Wells (Trailer Park Boys), Would You Rather tells the story of a girl in desperate need to take care of her sick brother. With a lack of funds and dire for redemption, the girl agrees to take part in what seems like a simple game that could leave her very rich or very dead.

In all honesty, I did not have anything to complain about with this film. The acting is superb, the deaths are top notch, and everything was in order to create a highly intense horror film. If I have maybe, just maybe, one complaint, it is that the ending makes the story somehow meaningless. Some will love the ending , while others will hate it – I was on the fence with it.

What makes Would You Rather so unique is its creativeness to converge desperation with pure lunacy. No one can bring this twisted game to life like the satanic, maddening sense of humor gifted to Jeffrey Combs, who plays the game’s founder and creator. As events gets under way, the contestants immediately realize that their lives in on the line, as well as the prize money. From hanging onto a dynamite to drowning one’s self, nothing has limits in this game of true iron will, desperation and determination.

One of the most dreadful scenes was one that made my horror senses infuriate to lava – in a good way – and that was Peter’s (Rob Wells) firecracker death scene. The tension was epic! The special effects make the tone of the movie much smoother, as each gruesome demise is realistically and boldly put forth. As the contestants numbers dwindle, the stakes are raised to bring a gory, splatter flick to justice in a much more intelligent way than the Saw series. The sarcastic dialogue mixed with the pure evil that Combs delivers as he dives into his character with wits and primal elegance is a match made in horror heaven.

All in all,  Would You Rather is a very suspenseful and unique horror film that delves into the core of basic human needs and primal fear. An amazing cast and a well developed story skyrocket this movie into a deserved cult status that no one can deny. Looking for a great film on Netflix? Look no further: Would You Rather has you covered.