Kill Theory

I thought this was decent and better than expected bloody thriller with solid acting but this horror theme is very tiresome and recycled now and is no longer thrilling or scary. I thought it was well paced and had ordinary but very brutal kills but what really stands out in this movie and what makes it interesting is the psychological mind games the characters play on each other and the hard decisions they make in order to survive this twisted cat and mouse game. This is pretty much survival of the fittest for the slasher crowd with a mix of Saw, Scream and Battle Royale but less inventive because in the end nothing really stands out in this and is a forgettable throw away. I does have better production values than previous slashers from after dark horrorfest but like most movies from that fest you won't even remember the name of it in a few years. Overall it had an intriguing tagline, decent but as expected leads, ruthless violence and a harsh psychological, cat and mouse game the characters are forced to play and the final twist which is both the highlight of this otherwise forgettable thriller. Worth at least a rental but not a must see.

Man, i wanted to like this. I loved the premise, and the actors were all beautiful save one. The theory was good, but the dialog and acting was so poor. You literally hate the characters the first half of the movie. They don't make rational choices. They scream and run and curse, then scream some more. Then they curse again. Everything is pure emotion, zero logic, zero thought, zero planning. The fat guy was like the gay guy in Mean Girls. May have been the same guy, idk, but they are close to the same character. You don't shed a tear when anyone dies. Actually, you are relived They quit screaming and running around. Even with all this, I semi enjoyed it..the plot and premise are enough to keep you engaged. The ending was kind of a twist, and not horrible. Overall, not bad but the potential wasted with such a cool premise is what I will remember it for. Give it a shot if you like the genre. If you don't like this genre, you won't like this movie. A solid 5.

Reasons I liked this 1. The idea of the villain making the victims kill each other was kinda new. 2. The acting was decent. 3. The surprise at the end was... a surprise.

Reasons I didn't like this 1. The victims weren't particularly sympathetic or likable. I wanted to see them die. 2. The villain was a chatty bastard just like that moron Jigsaw. Man, just shut up with your damn philosophy garbage. Give me silent slashers like Leatherface, Jason or Michael... that or give me funny/scary ones like Freddy or Billy (Black Christmas). 3. Too much Shaky-CAM!!! 4. Too much pointless running around and jabbering just to pad out the time. 5. Lame High School (I know, they're supposed to be college students...) histrionic soap opera crap. I came away with the idea these people might have offed each other even without the encouragement of Mr. Talksalot.

So... 5 to 3... means this movie was a dud. Only worth watching if you're really bored, like I was.

This is teen horror in the style of Friday 13th. Dash of drinking, nudity and sex with plenty of blood and mayhem. It's not rocket science but it supplies what it's supposed to. I didn't feel cheated.

At this point in horror history, long gone are the simple, yet effective, "By-the-numbers" slasher flicks. Everything has to be bigger and better than the last big thing. What Kill Theory does NOT do, is be an innovative force. It doesn't try to create the next big gimmick for horror movies to come. What it DOES do, and well I might add, is take everything that has made slashers work in the past, and incorporate that into a very competently made modern slasher flick.

One of the things I liked most about Kill Theory, is that there really isn't a main character. There is no obvious hero, there isn't really a "Red herring" so to speak. The film puts together a decent ensemble of people, some of whom are recognizable from past efforts, some were unknowns. For me, I immediately noticed Theo Rossi, and Taryn Manning from Sons Of Anarchy, an excellent show if you haven't checked it out yet. I also recognized Daniel Franzese from "Bully". Overall though, Each character appears to be as important as the last. It never emphasizes one character over an other.

The concept is interesting. It's not something new, but it's done very well, and keeps you engaged in the story, instead of waiting for the next kill. Normally in modern slashers, I've completely tuned the "Story" out, and I'm sitting in anticipation for the next piece of visual effects put on display. Speaking of effects, there are plenty of scenes of blood and gore in the film, which are also done very well. So if you're looking for some grue and grime, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the level of gritty violence and gore.

The pacing was perfect. Sitting at a brisk 81 minutes, the film takes no time setting things in motion. There is a "Whodunit" aspect to the film, but it never harps on it. You don't see the "Killer's" face until the end of the film, but it doesn't make it a big "Reveal" moment,and those of us who have been keeping up to date on slashers, will immediately recognize his voice.

If you're thirsting for a slasher film, and if you're like me, and are sick of the "Saw" franchise, and it's imitators, give Kill Theory a shot. It may not be the next big thing, but it takes different elements that made classic slashers work, and put them together in a fun, bloody, competent package.

3.5/5 - napalmfuzz

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