Truth or Dare (15) | Close-Up Film DVD Review

Dir. Robert Heath, UK, 2012, 91 mins

Cast. David Oakes, Jason Maza, Jennie Jacques, Jack Gordon, Florence Hall, Liam Boyle, Alexander Vlahos

Review by Michelle Moore

The English countryside is a peaceful place; quiet, beautiful and a rather remarkable to spend time in. However, Truth or Dare delves into a darker side of the grand estate owned by an elite family, where pride and the truth come before everything else, even murder.

The movie centres on five individuals, who celebrate getting through the start of university with a party; sex, drink, drugs and a game of truth or dare. However, this game comes back to haunt these five souls several months later when they are reunited at a grand estate party, only to find they are the only guests and the host (Oakes) is not so welcoming. What follows is a sickening game with bloody results that pitch the friends against each other.

Although the premises of the movie begins like that of any other teen horror flick, a sex, booze and drugs fuelled party, things change and become quite intriguing when the five find themselves remanded to a cabin in the woods. It is at this destination the game of truth and dare gets bloody, violent and sadistic with gruesome visions from injury via shot gun and to battery acid attacks. As the events of this brutal attack take hold of your attention, they are able to build suspense at several intervals. For example, a knock on the door and the creaky floorboards adds a lot to the way the film is received. Likewise, there are some moments that will shock viewers, such as the struggle between two characters and one’s unexpected death to the return of someone who was supposedly dead.

While there are plenty of shocks and suspense, there are moments that will leave you wondering if all those drugs have had some impact on script as well as its characters. You are left wondering why on Earth would a young girl who has just escaped the dreadful cabin head straight for the main house knowing who it belongs to, and also, some rather predictable moments, like when Emma (Hall) walks around a door with a shot gun only to be knocked over.

Unfortunately there was one particular character that couldn’t be taken too seriously, not due to his acting ability or character but his resemblance of a Jedward twin. Luke played by Vlahos is the spitting image of an English Jedward brother and for that reason put a kink in the death and torture scenes he was part of; don’t be surprised if a smile peeps across your face.

If you are expecting Truth or Dare to be another typical revenge story then you will be disappointed. It has surprising twists and turns around each corner and some moments that will make you cringe. The ending is by far the most captivating part due to its twist of fate. Truth or Dare will have you squirming in your seat.