Pledge

This movie has a distinct Funny Games feel to it, but takes a little less time developing the personality of the antagonists, which is a shame. There are touches, but most are peppered in to move the story forward, ratger than really setting them apart in terms of their goals and reasons for doing what they do.

There is a good punt of playing with audience expectations, so that the film keeps you guessing rather than simply being predictable, but it almost feels like it ends too quickly because of this. Several threads are left unexplored and a little more could have gone a long way to making this a much more rewarding watch.

Overall the film is good and never really lags or feels cheap. It has something to say and is delivered well. With a little more development it could have been really great.

I thought this was going to be really horrible. Turns out it wasn't bad. Until two thirds into it. Then it sort of fell apart. One thing you will keep asking yourself over and over again is -- why don't these guys fight back -- especially when you know you are going to die. Too bad. It could have been better with better writing

Good movie, not an especially good movie, but it is entertaining enough. Interesting theme, and the acting is fairly decent. I don't know if this is an independent movie, if it is, they done a fine job. If not, it's still a worth a look. Some gore, nothing too shocking for those who don't particularly like that stuff.

I'd say it's a solid 6, but those with a keener eye for the subtext, may have a different view to mine.

Three nerds crash a college party but they soon get kicked out for not being cool. However a hot chick invites them to an alternative party, held at an exclusive house. The vodka flows, the girls are randy, the boys have a great time. They get invited back the next day for a "fun" 48 hour pledge but when the first part involves the boys getting (forcibly) branded we know that they are in for a very tough time. Plenty of torture porn on offer here, not as graphic as say Hostel or Saw but still very violent and nasty. But amongst the horror we are treated to some humour in the dialogue, nerd David with his thick specs could have come from any number of 1980's college movies. There are a couple of decent twists towards the end. I found Pledge to be well made and enjoyed it, not sure that I'd give it a second shot though.

I didn't know what to expect from "Pledge" & I'm happy to say that it turned out to be a tight little indie horror/thriller.

We've seen the idea hundreds of times before, yet the director and writer managed to serve an old formula with some additional garnish. Things I liked about "Pledge" includes cinematography and editing - considering the obviously low budget, it's simply yet beautifuly shot and executed, visually it's quite appealing, starting with wide variety of shots and ending with feels-right color grading. I also enjoyed the gore & choreography - both things do not take up a lot of screentime, but when they're there, you can appreciate the effort & the result. I was also surprised about the acting, which was more decent than my sceptical mind was expecting, given the little known, young team of actors. However, the characters were not all that great - David was just begging to get killed, being quite an annoying character. The three main villains did not impress, scare or have any real impact on me as well, they were slightly underwhelming. The story is simple, entertaining, with small twists here and there - definitely holds your attention just enough.

All in all, "Pledge" will not make you go "wow", but it will entertain You for 75 straight minutes & satisfy the appetite for a good indie horror flick. A solid 6/10.