**PLEASE NOTE: the trailer presented below is a RED BAND and suggested only for adults due to language and graphic violence**
Directed by Greg McLean
Written by James Gunn
Starring Tony Goldwyn, John Gallagher, Adria Arjona and Sean Gunn
Featuring John C McGinley and Michael Rooker
So, this is a pretty quirky horror story. The premise is pretty unselling. It’s “SAW” meets “Battle Royale.”
Basically, these Americans agreed to work for an organization in a foreign country that advocates for getting more Americans jobs overseas. You first get a vibe things are wrong when there are weird military people standing outside of the building and turning non-Americans away. DON’T GO INTO THE BASEMENT – DON’T YOU HEAR THE SCARY MUSIC?
Then the characters start to discuss that odd occurrence outside. “Weird huh?” “Oh well – pass the coffee.” HELLO, MCFLY? Now would be a good time to call out sick.
Then, the hurricane shutters come down and the phone lines are cut. A Jigsaw-esque voice comes through the PA system saying a certain number of employees must be dead within the allotted amount of time, or a bigger amount of people will be killed. SHOULD HAVE CALLED IN SICK TODAY, HUH?
This movie is a gory splatter-fest with some funny moments and lots of ethical quandaries within the characters as they grapple with their fate. As a wimp for torture scenes or stuff that is overtly violent, only a few scenes bothered me, but not so much that I felt traumatized after watching it.
The end is surprising and likely leaves the door open for a sequel. I would give it a 3 out of a 5.
The Collective Speaks:
Splatter Factor: 3.5/5 *** The dreadful duo of McLean and Gunn lay on the red quite thick. Majority of the violence comes by means of gunshots and stabbings. Highlights include an impalement through the temple and a brutal bludgeoning with a stapler. It’s pure Office Space splatter catharsis. ***
Greg McLean and Sean Gunn are two souls that have been absorbed into the overarching entity of the Dread, the dark force that conjures all images of horror and fear. In combining their considerable talents we admire what they have wrought. The Collective acknowledges that they missed a bit of potential but we are quite pleased overall with the savagery and brutality they have established. May your paths continue to intertwine in the near future, gentlemen.
Author Brad Acevedo 