IFC Midnight | Release Date: February 8, 2013
5.9
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 95 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
45
Mixed:
31
Negative:
19
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)
6
mbeckfordSep 16, 2014
Forget the critic scores.This movie is mostly enjoyable to horror movie fans. Not to bash the critics, but don't they read the movie description before watching? Wouldn't this line turn them off to the movie, or at least force these criticsForget the critic scores.This movie is mostly enjoyable to horror movie fans. Not to bash the critics, but don't they read the movie description before watching? Wouldn't this line turn them off to the movie, or at least force these critics to put themselves in a horror aficionado's shoes while watching the flick?

"she arrives to find herself ... forced to play a sadistic game of Would You Rather, where only the winner will get out alive."

The movie has a great premise AND original story with fine acting to boot (rare in a B-movie). Budget limits are effectively managed so that you barely notice the low budget impact. In fact, because some of the more horrific scenes are not shown they are more cringe-worthy as your mind gets to fill in the details.

But the standout is Jeffrey Combs of Reanimator/From Beyond fame that plays the host of the WORST DINNER PARTY GAME EVER! He balances his sociopathic morality with a genteel propriety that makes his character stand out of the very-disposable extras.

The twist ending is predictable and you wish the more dastardly character deaths were more horrific, but overall it is a very entertaining horror flick. The excellent Roger Ebert, God rest his soul, would hate this movie, but I would never use his reviews for horror movies.
Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
5
whitmorgan7Mar 10, 2017
Released in 2013, this is by far one of my favorite hidden gems on Netflix. I happened upon this movie one night while at my sister’s house, and it has became a Netflix favorite for me since. It is my go to movie when my friends and I can’tReleased in 2013, this is by far one of my favorite hidden gems on Netflix. I happened upon this movie one night while at my sister’s house, and it has became a Netflix favorite for me since. It is my go to movie when my friends and I can’t think of a fun horror film to watch. It’s not going to be the best horror film you’ve ever seen, but if you like anything similar to Saw, Hostel, or really anything with a torture porn feel, you’ll at least respect this.

Starting out we meet protagonist Iris, portrayed by Brittany Snow. She’s down on her luck, trying to find a job anywhere to help take care of her little brother. We learn early on that her parents died in a car accident, and her brother is very sick in need of a bone marrow transplant. In a meeting with his doctor, Lawrence Gillard Jr., about the options they have, we are also introduced to Shepard Lambrick, Jeffrey Combs. Lambrick tells Iris that he has the means to help her and her brother, and all she has to do is attend a dinner party at his house the following evening. If she does this, he can pay off all of her medical debt, and find a suitable bone marrow match for her brother, and even skip all waiting lists. Skeptical, Iris asks Dr. Barden if this is legit, because I agree, it is kind of shady that a man you’ve never met is willing to do all of this in exchange for a dinner party. Iris decides to take the evening to think it over.

Later in the evening, Iris receives a call informing her that she didn’t get the job she was interviewing for in the opening sequence. Desperate, she calls and accepts the invitation to Shepard’s dinner party. Arriving at the house, we meet the rest of the cast and learn that there will be a ‘game’ to determine who wins the money. Everything starts out fine, a semi-formal dinner party with good food and service, and most of the other ‘contestants’ seem nice enough.Trouble arises when Iris informs Lambrick that she is a vegetarian and doesn’t eat meat. He offers her ten thousand dollars to eat the steak and liver on her plate, which she reluctantly accepts. Let the games begin. From here on out, things get messy–literally. He challenges the group’s morals and integrity in a twisted game of would you rather. Some of the challenges include slicing open an eye, shocking each other, and basically drowning people. There’s so much more, and I love it. I think it is such a good example of what desperate people will do to get the help that they need.

Jeffrey Combs gives an amazing performance of the sadistic ring leader of the game. He is unapologetically cruel and comfortable with what he is doing. He is funny and carefree. He loves seeing the group squirm, and he isn’t afraid to invoke violence on those who need it. Brittany Snow gives a warming performance of Iris, the naive girl who will do anything to help her brother. The rest of the cast is memorable, some more than others–I’m looking at you Enver Gjokaj. Some of the acting among other cast members isn’t great, but overall I think Combs and Snow do a good enough job on their own.

You will care about the characters, you will want to cover your eyes, and you’ll gasp at the ending. You won’t be able to help but love Shepard Lambrick and his twisted mind. This won’t be a movie that wins any awards, and most people might not enjoy it as much as I do, but as far as Netflix films go, I think it’s worth the watch. Every so often you stumble across a good one, and this is it for me.
Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
5
GrantD243Mar 24, 2019
Honestly, this film is not good in a lot of ways. The script is a little weak, each character's decisions are predictable in every way possible, and the concept had so much more potential than what the film ended up being. But I watched thisHonestly, this film is not good in a lot of ways. The script is a little weak, each character's decisions are predictable in every way possible, and the concept had so much more potential than what the film ended up being. But I watched this film with a group of friends and ended up enjoying it quite a bit. This is definitely one of those films that would be a bit of a disappointment if you watch it alone, but becomes far better if you watch it with a group of people. Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
5
FilmVirtueFeb 15, 2014
"Would You Rather" was interesting, I found It's concept unlike any other. I guess you can say It's a good thing. It is shocking and has plenty of interesting scenes which all come down to the final scene. Which was good. I would not"Would You Rather" was interesting, I found It's concept unlike any other. I guess you can say It's a good thing. It is shocking and has plenty of interesting scenes which all come down to the final scene. Which was good. I would not recommend the film, but I would give it a 3/5 Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
jiffypop333Jan 10, 2020
The movie was average at best! Not much build up with other characters which would leave kinda just asking why? Decent plot with a few twist that may suprise you but all in all not really worth your time unless you like torture porn in movies!
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
horcrux2007Jun 6, 2015
I watched this on the recommendation of a friend. It's a very simple movie; there's not much of a story. Would You Rather is about a group of people who are invited to a dinner party with the promise that one of them will win a sum of moneyI watched this on the recommendation of a friend. It's a very simple movie; there's not much of a story. Would You Rather is about a group of people who are invited to a dinner party with the promise that one of them will win a sum of money if he or she wins a game. Obviously because this is a movie, this game of would you rather isn't going to be your average parlor game. What the contestants have to choose between is life-threatening, and only one person is going to get out alive. Since there's virtually no plot to the movie, it does feel like you're watching one !!+!+% up YouTube challenge at times, but what saves this movie from being completely unbearable is the twists that the host puts on the game. It does make the film rather unpredictable and incredibly intense. Many scenes had me cringing because of the grisly nature of some of the dilemmas. There are a few glaring issues with the entire premise; it is mentioned that this game is played yearly, so why didn't one of the winners call the cops after finishing the game? I mean you were held hostage for a night while you were practically tortured, and seven people ended up dead. I wouldn't call this a particularly enjoyable film, but if you just want a crazy and intense little movie, Would You Rather is a decent choice. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
Wombats123Mar 21, 2017
Simply put, this movie does not have much going for it. It'll be entertaining if you're in the mood for torture porn, but other than that, it has little redeeming qualities.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
JLauSep 23, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Torture porn with an actual porn actress in it as a woman needs money to save her sick brother, plays a dangerous game set up by a warped family, wins it but her brother killed himself anyway whilst she was playing. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews