For years there have been films that come along that use the idea of a torturous game to torment characters in both the horror and action genres. Every so often there is one that walks the line between both making for more of thriller, but they don’t always deliver. The latest, 13 Sins brings that style game of survival in a bit of a different way but is it a game worth checking out or one that you would prefer not to play?
13 Sins follows a salesman drowning in debt and desperate as he prepares for his upcoming wedding. When he receives a phone call that he is on a hidden game show and must complete 13 tasks to receive a cash prize of $6.2M, but when the tasks shift from harmless to grisly manipulated by unseen spectators, his need to complete the game to a devastating point of no return. Initially this film seemed to drag on trying to get to the point, but once it gets into the meat of the deadly game it becomes a bit more entertaining. The story isn’t anything all that new, but some of the directions they take it and overall execution help to step things up a bit and feel fresh. The cast do a decent enough job with no one really standing out, but all being effective enough to make the film work. As it progresses it thankfully gets a bit more complex as they start throwing some twists and turns at you that keeps you guessing till the very end.
This is far from a perfect film and never quite feels bigger than the straight to video film it is, but it does manage to entertain thanks to the disturbing nature of it all. From the opening sequence you know you are in for something insane and they deliver. Step into the deadly game when 13 Sins hits stores on June 17th.