Kill Theory

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.

KILL THEORY has an interesting premise - which has been done many times before - but aside from one or two actors, the general cast is full of pretty boys and girls who were very amateurish actors. Nothing going on in their eyes, monotone line readings and when many of them have to have moments of hysteria and panic - not one real MOMENT, no real tears - just ACTING - just people saying look at me ACT - do you believe ANY of this? Nope - not one bit. And my friends and I were laughing because it seemed that the director might have told the young cast when moments of murder and terror happen to "just wing it - just ad-lib" so literally every other word is the f-bomb, "what the f**k?" "are you f**king kidding me?" "f**k you!" There was more cussing in this than a Richard Pryor concert film and it added NOTHING. You could play a drinking game that every time they say f88k, you take a shot of booze but then you'd be...dead. And the cliché voice of the killer is some tired SAW-like copy - just once how about the killer sounds weak and nebbish? Just to shake things up a bit. The two blonde female leads were interchangeable but I swear one of them must be on Vicodin - you never such low energy, no spark readings in your life. If you wanna ride through Horror Cliché Town, grab a seat. KILL THEORY is an idea searching for a better script and some professional actors.

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.

Not bad, got better as it rolled on. Couple surprises.

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

http://liberaldead.blogspot.com