Director: Daniel Stamm
Starring: Mark Webber, Ron Perlman, Rutina Wesley, Devon Graye, Tom Bower
Certificate: 15
Running time: 88 minutes
Special features: Behind The Scenes
Written and directed by Daniel Stamm, the man behind THE LAST EXORCISM, it’s no surprise 13 SINS has been described as ‘deeply twisted’ and ‘a crazy, unpredictable horror’, especially when you consider Blumhouse Productions’ founder Jason Blum is named as executive producer, his presence upping the ante a little more.
Elliot (Webber), a down-on-his-luck salesman, has had a tough time. Recently made redundant, he’s struggling to juggle his brother’s (Graye) medical bills, his racist father’s (Bower) outbursts, and plans for the wedding to his fiancee Shelby (Wesley). However, it seems someone is looking out for him, with Elliot receiving a creepy anonymous phone call from an overly enthusiastic game show host inviting him to take part to win mountains of cash. First challenge: swat and kill the fly that’s currently annoying him. Easy, done. Second challenge: eat the now-dead fly. Gross but achievable. With nearly $5,000 landing in his bank account within a couple of minutes, Elliot sees dollar signs and agrees to continue with the competition, knowing full well that if he forfeits he will lose everything. With each challenge darker and more immoral than the last, Elliot is dragged into a crazy underworld of conspiracies and control (and the desecration of dead bodies), leading to the involvement of detective Chilcoat (Perlman), who, despite his shiny badge, may not be quite as moral as he seems.
Although garnering comparisons to SAW (2004), FUNNY GAMES(1997, 2007) and CHEAP THRILLS (2013), with the story sourced from Thai thriller 13: GAME OF DEATH, 13 SINS is still a solid title all on its own. With believable performances from everyone involved (especially Graye), Stamm’s writing and direction ensure that the audience are kept in the dark alongside Elliot from beginning to end. Each time his mobile phone trills out the ‘game show’s’ ringtone Entry Of The Gladiators (a surprisingly sinister piece of music given its association with the circus) the audience shift forward in their seats to await the next challenge, as Webber brilliantly pulls off the portrayal of a struggling, demeaned, desperate victim, a puppet in the hands of a faceless master.
As with many of the titles housed under the Blumhouse banner, 13 SINS is graphic and gruesome from start to finish, with many bones broken and heads scalped, a convention sure to please loyal horror fans. However, whilst the performances are solid and the special effects are brutal, the lacklustre ending is disappointing, leaving questions unanswered and plot holes open. While this may displease some, the rest of the film is not to be ignored, especially considering its fidelity towards the thriller genre.
Most definitely twisted from beginning to end, 13 SINS is a great starting point for newbie horror viewers, more psychologically-affecting than vomit-inducing.
[usr=4] 13 SINS is released on DVD on 30th June.
