Review: 13 Sins

Score:B+

Director:Daniel Stamm

Cast:Mark Webber, Rutina Wesley, Ron Perlman, Devon Graye

Running Time:92 Minutes

Rated:R

Based on the popular Thai horror film 13: Game of Death, Daniel Stamm's 13 Sins is a dark and intense psychological thriller that not only lives up to its source material, but goes beyond in crafting a fun and haunting film that will please both mainstream and genre fans alike.

Telling the story of Elliot, a recently fired salesman who is drowning in debt and about to marry the love of his life, 13 Sins takes no prisoners as it hits the ground running from the onset.  While the initial phone call to Elliot seems simple enough, his downward spiral into the dark and disgusting world of greed allows the film to dissect human nature and see just what someone will do for money when placed on the edge of desperation.

Daniel Stamm, who boasts an impeccable eye for filmmaking, uses his unique approach to create a thought-provoking film that benefits greatly from its quick pace and unique angle.  It's a nasty premise that will trouble many, but for those who get it, the occasional dark humor that is sandwiched between troubling images of torment and murder offers just enough relief to keep you off balance as you watch the troubling events unfold.

Mark Webber, in one of his most solid performances of late, stars as Elliot.  Though he is the central character in the story and does a phenomenal job at creating a down-on-his-luck man you want to root for, it is the supporting work of Devon Graye, Rutina Wesley and Ron Perlman that allows the film to reach the heights that it does.  Their combined chemistry gives the film a heart, permitting it to have a moral compass as it sends its characters through a gauntlet of decisions, each deterring the fate of both themselves and the ones they love.

I will admit that 13 Sins shows its cards a bit earlier than I would have liked, and Perlman's role in the film is a bit underwhelming; however, as Elliot begins to near that coveted thirteenth task, you can't help but begin to expect the worst.  It should be noted that some of the rules to the game are left unclear; though Elliot appears to struggle with the same situation, having overlooked the details at the opportunity to make a quick buck and presumably buy his problems away.

In the end, 13 Sins is anything but a horror film.  But with a handful of deaths and a hidden comedic undertone, it truly is a dark and mysterious film worth checking out.

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About Stephen Davis

Stephen Davis
I owe this hobby/career to the one and only Stephanie Peterman who, while interning at Fox, told me that I had too many opinions and irrelevant information to keep it all bottled up inside. I survived my first rated R film, Alive, at the ripe age of 8, it took me months to grasp the fact that Julia Roberts actually died at the end of Steel Magnolias, and I might be the only person alive who actually enjoyed Sorority Row…for its comedic value of course. While my friends can drink you under the table, I can outwatch you when it comes iconic, yet horrid 80s films like Adventures in Babysitting and Troop Beverly Hills. I have no shame when it comes to what I like, and if you have a problem with that, then we’ll settle it on the racquetball court. I see too many movies to actually win any film trivia contest, so don’t waste your first pick on me. My friends rent movies from my bookcase shelves, and one day I do plan to start charging. I long to live in LA, where my movie obsession will actually help me fit in, but for now I am content with my home in Austin. I prefer indies to blockbusters, Longhorns to Sooners and Halloween to Friday the 13th. I miss the classics, as well as John Ritter, and I hope to one day sit down and interview the amazing Kate Winslet.

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