Just how far would you be willing to take a dare? The Dare takes this concept and runs into the sunset with it with devastating effect. Check out our The Dare review.
The Dare Review
Jay (Bart Edwards) is set to leave his family for a business conference but he’ll be back in a few days.
He tucks his daughters in bed and gets himself ready. Although lurking outside the house is a man with other plans who kidnaps Jay.
Jay wakes up in a basement shackled with 3 other prisoners. A masked man comes into the room and barks orders for our prisoners. If you don’t do them, there are consequences.
Many of these tasks involve disfiguring one another or torturing one another and the race is on to find out just what is happening and why they have been captured.
A Blend of Horror
In our trailer release post for this particular feature we said how it feels like every infamous horror movie has been thrown into a blender.
That is exactly what The Dare is. Fuelled by historical horrors that are referenced from start to finish.
We have the Saw style capture of these prisoners, we have a leatherface inspired captor and more.
This is torture porn of the highest order. Whilst it may seem very same old same old it’s done superbly well.
A horror movie with emotion is a rare feature indeed and The Dare manages to get that message over loud and clear at a higher volume than the grotesque disembowled screams.
The Dare takes place mostly in this industrial warehouse where meat is prepared (Texas Chainsaw nods) and the cinematography isn’t your gloomy dull palette. Here we have a bright vivid palette which gives the blood a chance to shine in all of its bright red glory.
Overall
There are many a squemish moment in this torture flick and whilst it still doesn’t feel like there’s a great deal of story here we’re caught up in its weaved web of sadism.
After a while the film does feel like its repeating itself quite frequently, replacing torture with story and depth. As a result the movie really does trail off towards the end.
With gross scenes aplenty writer/director Giles Alderson has slightly stepped outside of the torture porn genre in some aspects. At the same time he has also kept one foot firmly in the circle as to not alienate his audience.
I enjoyed it but I’m not sure if its a film that I’d be dying to re-watch again anytime soon.
I want to express a huge congratulations to the special effects team on this movie. Some of the practical gore effects were staggeringly and stomach churningly realistic.
Hats off to you all for such a remarkably detailed job!
The Dare review by Sean Evans
The Dare
Summary
Flawed in places but overall quite an interesting watch.
The Dare is certainly a film we’ve all seen before but paying homage to some classic horrors always wins brownie points in my eyes.
A run of the mill torture porn flick that now and again steps out of its boundaries.
Worth a watch. But only the once.
