Die

I'm sensing a theme among negative reviews: that this is a SAW rip-off without the gore. As much of a sweeping statement that is, and how little credit it gives to this movie, I can see where they're coming from. I was always fascinated by the small amount of psychological horror in the SAW franchise, but felt like it was too much of a gorefest to truly be able to appreciate it.

On the other hand, "Die" takes all of the elements I had wished to see in SAW and uses them full-force: there's the murky morality, the inescapable desperation, choices that don't feel like choices. "Die" is violent, but it is subtly so, and focuses a lot more on the characters and what they're going through. I found it incredibly intriguing and entertaining. The acting was good, the cinematography well-done--overall, I was impressed.

After reading the synopsis, I'm sure your mind will immediately think "OK this is obviously a Saw rip off" - and you'd be absolutely correct. There are a large number of elements that appear to be direct rip offs from the Saw series (namely the first). I am totally OK with rip-offs of good movies, if the rip off is well done...this one isn't. I really love Saw, so I might come off as slightly biased, but what made that movie great (other than the novelty) was the suspense, the constant twists that kept you guessing, the fantastically dark, gritty atmospheres, and the brilliant way the characters and story events were interwoven + how it was all brought together in the end; "Die" is completely ineffective in all of these. Watching "Die" will make you appreciate the way the story is told in Saw. In this movie the story telling is completely disjointed - I loved how in Saw the two characters woke up in a room with no knowledge of what was going on and the story built from there, slowly recounting the character's pasts, etc. In Die you have the same concept, except that the story jumps around randomly between back story, the characters being trapped, and the cops (whose storyline seems like a weak afterthought). None of the characters seem to be truly fleshed out, and many of them die before you learn anything of interest about them. You keep waiting for the twists and the interconnected story lines, yet none come. Furthermore, the method of the bad guy is completely stupid and makes no sense. They try to give him a jigsaw-like quality of this near omnipotent figure who is always 2 steps ahead combined with higher morality (half of his lines sound like direct quotes from Jigsaw - appreciate your life blah blah) being the reason for putting this together, however you quickly see that his methodology centers around randomness -- "fate" as he puts it (dice rolling) -- and every "trap" functions in exactly the same, simplistic manner. You fail suicide (isn't that already fate?), so he is going to put you in a situation where you have absolutely no control over whether you live/die to prove that you should appreciate your life? Uh, WHAT? One other thing that was really ridiculous to me is that all this guy had was a handgun (sometimes he didn't even draw it) with little to no further measures to protect himself, yet the characters put up no fight whatsoever, even though they could have likely taken this guy out pretty easily(sometimes they even have things they could use as weapons). I typically make a point to finish all movies just to see if there is some redeeming bit at the end, but I had somewhere to go with about 20 minutes remaining on this and I didn't have the desire to bother finishing it. Maybe some kind of amazing twist lies at the end, but from the complete lack of build and tension, I highly doubt it. The production values are fine, the acting is OK, but the story is just poor and the entire thing simply feels so pointless.

Six strangers awake in a cell in an underground facility. In flashbacks, their lives are exposed and in common, they are destroyed by their acts. Mark Murdock (Elias Koteas) is a nihilist detective that does not have any hope in his career. Lisa Meridian (Emily Hampshire) is an addicted gambler that has destroyed her marriage. Robert Moretti (Fabio Fulco) is a self-destructive millionaire that tried to commit suicide. Melody Chambers (Katie Boland) is a young prostitute addicted in drugs. Zach Emmett (Karl Pruner) is a psychiatrist that has been suffering for two years for a fatal wrong prescription to a patient. Diane Robinson (Patricia McKenzie) is a nurse that lost her two year-old child and tried to commit suicide.

Soon they learn that they have been abducted by the disturbed Jacob Odessa (John Pyper-Ferguson), who saw his father committing suicide when he was a boy. Jacob forces each prisoner to toss a dice in a deadly game of Russian roulette against another participant in a sort of trial. The survivors would have a chance to reborn in a new existence.

"Die" is a movie with a promising beginning, beautiful cinematography, intriguing atmosphere and awful storyline with a rip-off of "Cube" and "Saw" and overrated reviews. Despite the good performances, the explanation for the sick game of the deranged Jacob Odessa is brainless and ridiculous. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Jogos Suicidas" ("Suicide Games")

Well, the premises did sound like something we've all heard of before, but the way the plot unravels actually really makes it worth your while. If you pay attention you'll notice how clues are carefully placed throughout the film and how everything falls back in to place. As I watched it I became more and more interested in the characters and their stories, and the atmosphere created by the sound design and the cinematography enveloped me and made me "believe"... I am not sure this is film for all audiences, I mean that - differently from most thrillers, this is a film for mainly adult audiences who are willing to think as they watch a film. The look of the film is great and the acting is, for the most part, amazing. I enjoyed it and would watch a second time.

Billionaire Robert moretti: Does fund raisers for the needy. Drugs and prostitutes as well.

Mark Murdoch: Self-loathing, tired, alcoholic cop, under investigation for a killing.

Lisa Meridan: After the birth of her son, disappears from home periodically, chronic gambler.

Dr. Diane Robinson: A woman of faith who has never gotten over the sickness and death of her child.

Dr. Zach Emmet: Battling depression for accidentally over prescribing medication and under investigation.

Melody chambers: Drug-addicted prostitute, issues of rejection; being unloved.

The 6 people above have tried to commit suicide and are held captive and forced to play a game of chance or fate using a die as it's instrument. The game is called "The Trials" wherein the captives are forced to use the method by which they tried to kill themselves against their fellow captives along with a roll of a die to decide the severity of the method and the probability of survival. For example, if you tried to kill yourself with a gun then you are forced by your captor to roll the die to decide how many bullets should be loaded; after which time you would point it at your fellow captive and fire.

There is a diversity of captives since the people are randomly selected based on opportunity. In other words, whoever tries to off themselves unsuccessfully and are in the awareness of this madman are selected; imprisoned below in glass cages to experience The Trials wherein they are offered --according to the madman-- "a chance to be reborn". I have to concede, reluctantly, that there was a certain logic to his madness. These people, after all, wanted to --and attempted to-- kill themselves. So with his help they either had the opportunity to get it right this time, or live and "want to live" after being brought very close to death.

One by one the principals are introduced at the top of the movie. They go missing. Detective Valenti (very attractive woman and accent) is suspicious of the circumstances when these people start turning up with "dots" on their wrists; some lucky to be alive, some not. Along with the missing is her friend and mentor Mark Murdoch. The police chief keeps trying to dissuade her, telling her to go home. In essence, that there's nothing to these incidents and she's wasting her time and the department's. She has strong instincts and doggedly pursues.

This movie is not about elaborate ways to kill and torture anyone. The villain may be a nut of some variety but he's not a sadist. Indeed he even comes across as sympathetic and understanding sometimes. So the methods used here are the everyday conventional methods that are used by people everyday against themselves and others. Pointedly: the very methods these unfortunate 6 used against themselves. Rather, this movie is about irony, choices, life and death. You must now use the method by which you tried to kill yourself against someone else. You now have a second chance to die or live --what do you want? Will you cooperate with your captor, or not? What choice do you have? Can you live with the responsibility of being the instrument of another's death? These are some examples of these people's dilemma. The drama of the movie, tension of it, is all about this. The performances are so good by everyone in this movie that you are definitely drawn in and absorbed. Well worth your time, I believe. Love Boloxxxi.