Do you want to play a game with us? Join the Truth or Daredevils and face possible death and dismemberment at the hands of a lunatic.
When modern horror crosses paths with societal commentary and violent satire, we get Truth or Dare, a film by horror maven Jessica Cameron. Using a bare bones staff and limited resources, she turns what could have been an annoying indie flick into a brooding piece of vile art that spins a web of perversity and pain into a sweet genre flick. Initially released in 2013, the movie is finally available on DVD. We were lucky enough to check this one out over the weekend.
When reality crosses paths with a madman, things get totally unhinged within minutes. Armed to the teeth with fresh humor that pokes fun at our obsession with YouTube downloads and internet fame, Cameron's feature starts with a digital sitcom vibe that adds to the premise of making a goofy but black hearted low budget feature. Playing to our current obsessions with social media and instant notoriety, Cameron's work here is spot on despite some amateurish performances from some of her actors. Yet, the main antagonist is so believable and creepy that he actually amplifies the entire production with his absolute dedication to creating a viable nutbag. Using a setup that almost looks like we're going to get thrown into a digital porn video, things spin out of control and friends begin turning on each other. The game of truth or dare turns bloody and people begin to die brutally.
 |
| Damn girl. They done f'd up your eye. |
The thing that sets this apart from so many other independent horror movies is the sheer brutality on display. Featuring scenes of glass chewing, bullets to the head, bloody oral copulation and numerous other vicious murders on display, Truth or Dare is a true testament to perversity and the human desire to watch people suffer. Perhaps more violent than almost any torture porn movie ever made, Cameron's work is a nearly impeccable bit of glorified grotesquery. For a directorial debut, it's almost unbelievable that she was able to throw this much at the screen without ever losing focus on her vision of human pain and suffering.
If you can stand never ending scenes of gore intertwined with awesome looking practical effects, this little gem might be for you. From a horror fan that's seen nearly every type of horror under the sun, Truth or Dare pushes the envelope so far that some may not ever recover from the brutality that Cameron musters up. Now we just need to wonder where all this comes from. Like an early Eli Roth, Cameron has a gift for the visceral.
Share the suffering.
Score
-CG