There's a neat portion of 80's nostalgia to enjoy in this modest horror production by the British director Robert Heath. Surely we all love to remember those typically clichéd and nasty slashers in which the geekiest kid in school, preferably on prom night or during any random party night, is publicly humiliated (or even killed) during a banal prank that horribly runs out of hand. A certain time later, he himself or a traumatized family member goes on a vengeful killing spree to punish all the wrongdoers. That pretty much summarizes "Truth or Dare"; unoriginal, unmemorable and predictable from start to finish, but nonetheless entertaining. Several months ago, during a graduation party full of sex and drug-abuse, the timid and introvert Felix unsuccessfully declared his love to the cute blond Gemma whilst playing a spin-the- bottle/truth or dare game and got into a fight with her macho boyfriend Chris. Now, all the key players of this humiliating moment receive an invitation for Felix' birthday party at his parent's secluded country estate, and since they're a bunch of sleazy British teenagers always in search of free booze, they all decide to accept. They're welcomed by Felix' brother Justin, an obsessive military man, in a ramshackle cabin and he immediately confronts them with a genuine party-pooping message. Allegedly Felix committed suicide, and since Justin established that this quintet is directly responsible for his act of desperation, he's destined to extract vengeance and restore the family honor! "Truth or Dare" is actually more of a crossover between the aforementioned kind of 80's slasher with the nowadays hugely popular trend of torture porn horror. The killer immediately reveals his identity and motivations, but his methods of retaliation are more imaginative and "playful", like for example the challenge where the victim either drinks ordinary water or deadly battery acid. You won't feel much affection for any of the character, whether victim or psychopath, and some of them are in fact so stupid and insufferable that you almost wish for them to die cruel and painfully (which also happens!). Although the events are foreseeable and often even downright obvious, director Robert Heath still manages to generate a handful of suspenseful moments. And finally, just because it fun to mention, the young actress Jennie Jacques is an incredibly sexy chick and her impressive cleavage can be admired throughout the entire film!
Review of Truth or Die
