Warning: There are minor spoilers ahead.
The concept of "Truth or Dare" may sound juvenile.
The ubiquitous party game follows a group of friends back home from a vacation after a decades-old curse is unleashed. If you've seen the trailers, you may have rolled your eyes as the friends are forced to play the game until each of them are picked off one by one.
And then there are those creepy demon faces accompanying the movie's marketing that look like a Snapchat filter gone wrong.
Admittedly, the concept of a horror movie built around a game is a bit silly. Remember "Ouija"? But "Truth or Dare" has just enough twists to escape being predictable, which makes for a refreshing turn on the genre.
Why you should care: It's a Blumhouse movie with the star of "Pretty Little Liars."
Blumhouse Productions has been on a hot streak lately and this is the production company's latest. If you're scratching your head, wait, you've seen the company's movies. They're responsible for recent hits including "Split," "Happy Death Day," and Oscar-winning movie "Get Out."
If you're a "Pretty Little Liars" fan, Lucy Hale is the star of the thriller and she can definitely hold her own outside of the TV series.
What's Hot: Despite the juvenile concept, the film isn't predictable and may remind you of "Final Destination."
Several times throughout the movie I found myself thinking "Truth or Dare" had a similar concept to the "Final Destination" franchise. That's a good thing.
In "Final Destination," the survivors of a plane crash are hunted down one by one in the order they were supposed to die by death itself. Similarly, in "Truth or Dare," everyone has to keep playing the game or they'll die. The only way the game ends is when everyone is dead, unless Olivia (Hale) and her friends can find a way to break the curse on them.
Now, "Truth or Dare" probably isn't the next "Final Destination," but it's a clever spin on a familiar setup.
Several times I was surprised to see that when I expected the film to go in one direction, it veered off course. When you start to wonder why everyone doesn't decide to stick to telling "truth" to make the game go by easy, the movie has an answer for that.
That's a sign of a Blumhouse movie. It usually knows not to insult a viewer's intelligence or fall for the pitfalls of a corny slasher.
Like the "Final Destination" series, I figured the curse would find a way to be broken by the film's end, but I should have realized that wouldn't be the case.
This film has no happy ending. A twist at the end may have you draw another connection to the end of the recent "Rings" reboot.
It's also refreshing Hale's lead character isn't a one-dimensional college girl in a slasher film.
At the film's start, Olivia claims if she had to choose between her group of friends dying to save the world or vice versa that she would rather have herself and her friends die for the greater good.
At the time, she was telling the truth. But as the movie progresses, you watch Olivia devolve as she becomes desperate to find a way for herself and her friends to survive. It's an interesting character study in how someone will deal under pressure when put to the test.
What's Not: You'll feel like you're watching regurgitated trailers for about the first half hour.
The first half hour or so of the movie plays out exactly like the trailers. A group of friends go to Mexico, they play a game of truth or dare. They head home, the game follows them back. As the game starts to take victims, the first few truth or dare challenges play out exactly as depicted in the trailers.
There's little surprise there and that's frustrating.
Thankfully, the rest of the movie makes up for it by being less predictable.
If you're not a fan of cheap jump scares, there are a few throughout the movie you can see coming a mile away. It's also tough to take those Snapchat-looking faces seriously.
Warning: There is one really gross scene that may make you cringe.
The trailers show Hale's character ask another to cut out their tongue, and she's not joking. Someone is asked to remove their tongue with a knife.
I can't tell you how much of it is shown. I had to turn my head.
The Bottom Line: It's no "Get Out," but "Truth or Dare" has its moments.
This isn't top-tier horror, but if you're looking for a teen thriller to enjoy on Friday the 13th with friends, you may have a fun time. If you're looking for an excellent movie in the genre, we'd recommend John Krasinski's directorial debut, "A Quiet Place."
Grade: C+
"Truth or Dare" is in theaters Friday. Watch the trailer below.
SEE ALSO: Lucy Hale says she used to get mistaken for Selena Gomez
FOLLOW US: Entertainment INSIDER is on Facebook
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Seven movies that are pushing animation to the next level
0 Comments