Would You Rather is a 2012 American horror thriller film based on the party game “Would You Rather”, directed by David Guy Levy from a screenplay by Steffen Schlachtenhaufen
The movie stars Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, Jonny Coyne, Lawrence Gilliard Jr, Enver Gjokaj, Sasha Grey, John Heard and Logan Miller.
Plot:
Raleigh (Logan Miller) has leukaemia and he and Iris (Brittany Snow) cannot afford to pay for treatment. They are introduced to Shepard Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs), who offers them a deal; if Iris competes and wins in a game, his charitable foundation will pay for Raleigh’s treatment and find him a bone marrow donor.
Among the other contestants are Lucas, Travis, a war veteran, Amy (Sasha Grey), a woman who lost her daughter at the hands of her husband, Linda, an elderly woman paralyzed in a wheelchair, Peter, a man who had a serious gambling problem, Cal, and Conway, a man who had a drinking problem and was plunged into debt.
They start to enjoy their dinner until Iris points out she’s a vegetarian after it was revealed that they were serving meat. Shepard offers $10,000 if she eats the meat, which Iris accepts. After pouring wine for his guests, Conway tells Shepard that he doesn’t drink. Shepard offers him $10,000 for drinking a glass of wine, or $50,000 for drinking a canteen of Scotch. Conway accepts the $50,000 and drinks the whisky.
After dinner ends the game starts. The game is a deadly version of the popular party game, “Would you Rather?” Shepard offers his guests the chance to leave, no one does so the game starts. Bevans, Shepard’s butler, comes in with an electrocution machine and plugs it atop Cal’s head…
Reviews:
“Set largely in a single, well-appointed dining room, the film benefits from its claustrophobic quality that makes the audience feel as helplessly trapped as its characters. Indeed, the scenario would make for one hell of a stage thriller, assuming the brutally violent moments—handled here with relative discretion—could be effectively staged.” Hollywood Reporter
“ …there’s a suffocating feeling of suspense and personal ruin carrying the proceedings along, with a healthy amount of tension to savor. It’s a humdinger of a picture at times, guaranteed to rile up even the most jaded viewer, while presenting an interesting, if incomplete, portrait of human nature as it’s faced with a cold reality of choice and survival.” Blu-ray.com
“The contrived plot is rudimentary, and the actors convey maximum terror. The game-show host is a particularly interesting and colorful fiend, and in the film’s best performance, Jeffrey Combs plays him with a flair that goes above and beyond the call of duty.” The New York Observer
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Cast and characters:
- Brittany Snow as Iris
- Jeffrey Combs as Shepard Lambrick – Re-Animator; From Beyond; et al
- Jonny Coyne as Bevans
- Lawrence Gilliard, Jr. as Dr Barden
- Logan Miller as Raleigh
- Enver Gjokaj as Lucas
- Sasha Grey as Amy
- John Heard as Conway – Cat People; C.H.U.D.; Sharknado
- Charlie Hofheimer as Travis
- Eddie Steeples as Cal
- June Squibb as Linda
- Robin Lord Taylor as Julian Lambrick
- Robb Wells as Peter
- Larry Cedar as Driver
- Ptolemy Slocum as Shift Manager
- Bobby C. King as Steward 1
- Adam Mayfield as Steward
Technical details:
- 93 minutes
- Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
