Would You Rather movie (2012) Horror Movie Review
The 2012 movie "Would You Rather" was a pleasant surprise for me. Despite its cringe-worthy poster and the initial expectation of a painful and frustrating experience, director David Guy Levy delivered a quiet film filled with tension. While it includes scenes reminiscent of a "Saw" movie, there's also commendable acting and a plot with enough twists to keep viewers engaged.
The film follows Brittany Snow as Iris, a young woman struggling financially due to her brother's leukemia and the need for a costly bone marrow transplant. Desperate for money and unable to find a job, Iris meets Shepard Lambrick (played by Jeffrey Combs), a wealthy individual willing to help her brother. The catch? She must attend a dinner party thrown by Lambrick. Skeptical but with limited options, Iris reluctantly agrees.
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At the dinner, Iris encounters others in similar predicaments, each hoping for redemption from Lambrick. The group includes a gambler, an alcoholic, and a goth chick, among others. Lambrick reveals that only one person will receive his money, determined by winning a game he proposes. Despite the opportunity to leave, none of the guests do, and the suspenseful game begins.
The game in "Would You Rather" involves making tough choices. Lambrick and his guards, including his not-so-nice son, make the participants decide who they'll hurt. They might have to shock themselves or shock the person next to them. They face choices like stabbing someone's leg with an ice pick or whipping another person's back. As the game progresses, it gets more violent, and some players end up dropping out, meaning they don't make it through (they die).
While this might sound like a typical violent and gruesome movie, director Levy and writer Steffen Schlachtenhaufen focused on dialogue and atmosphere instead of relying heavily on gore and special effects. Most of the action happens in a single dining room, creating tension and a feeling of being trapped. The movie runs for 93 minutes, keeping a good pace, though some viewers might have preferred more background about the characters instead of some unnecessary side stories, like the diners trying to escape.
The actors do a great job, especially Combs, who plays Lambrick. He steals the spotlight as the wealthy and sadistic character, bringing a lively and exaggerated performance without making it too silly.
In the end, "Would You Rather" gives you something to think about. You can ponder the moral choices it presents—like whether you'd willingly harm a stranger—or you can just enjoy the experience. Either way, it's a movie worth checking out.