If you like suspense, fear and shock all rolled into one, you are a candidate for the movie Die now on DVD. The cringing tale about a deadly dice game has the three elements that produce a good film, exceptional acting, very good directing and an unusual plot. The film is my thriller pick of the month.
The movie finds six people, a psychiatrist, millionaire, drug addict, nurse, gambler, and burned-out cop caged in a cellar each brought there by a mysterious man who has kidnapped them to participate in his lethal game of chance. The planned deaths for the six are heinous and based on a past experience by at least one of the group. Each person in a cell has a chance to come out alive if the dice are rolled in their favor.
Much like the film Saw each of the captives do not know why they are there, their crime if any, or how they got to be put in their glass cages. As the movie progresses it answers these questions as it sets up each deadly psychological contest in which the captives have to participate. Too much information about the film could ruin it so the synopsis above should be all you need to peak your interest.
Produced by the people who brought you Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Gothika and Silent Hill, the film certainly equals those terror levels. First time director Dominic James has a seasoned cast to work with including Elias Koteas (Shutter Island), Emily Hampshire (The Trotsky), Stephen McHattie (A History of Violence), John Pyper-Fergusen (Conviction) and Caterina Murino (Casino Royal) and he really puts them through a nightmare.
He slowly rolls out his film spending time with his characters and making sure the audience feels the intrigue before the horror begins. He spares not special effects, make-up and stunts in order to bring the quality film to his audience. I especially liked the stunt in the drowning pool it almost took my breath away. James’s film does get a little far fetched, but just go along with it for the full enjoyment much like we do with most shock flicks.
Nicely filmed, even the darkness of the cellar comes to life with some great angles shot in available light creating an eerie constrained feeling that heightens the terror. The smartly designed close ups of each of the trapped subjects emit a sense of fear and loathing for their captor.
Die has not been rated by the MPAA but contains violence, drugs, language and gore. There is also a graphic scene of attempted suicide so beware of this and other warnings before viewing the film at home where children may be living.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A cringing movie in the vein of Saw and Hostel.[rating=5]
Specifications and additional film information:
- Cast: Elias Koteas, Emily Hampshire, Stephen McHattie, John Pyper-Fergusen and Caterina Murino
- Directed by: Dominic James
- MPAA Rating: Unrated
- Genre: Thriller, Horror and Suspense
- Running Time: 1 hr 34 min
- Street Date: March 27, 2012
- Language: English
- Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
- Video: 16X9 (2.35:1) Widescreen
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Number of discs: 1
- Distributed by: Entertainment One
- Extras: Director’s Cut
