Things aren’t all fun and games when evil powers hijack a simple game of Truth or Dare forcing a group of college kids to play the game to the bitter end.
Before you think I am absolutely nuts for giving this film such a high rating, give me a few minutes to explain.
Jillian Jacobs and Michael Reisz’s script is fun, quirky, and quite unique in that it takes a innocent children’s game and turns it on it’s head, ultimately resulting in a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Granted, I will admit that there is some foreshadowing, but much of that isn’t fully realized until the final sequence has landed.
Director Jeff Wadlow does a fantastic job of setting the scene, pulling as much as he can from his actors to deliver a truly suspenseful journey. The stage is set so perfectly that at many times you know exactly what is about to happen, and yet somehow you still jump. And can I just mention the face that overtakes the players when they become possessed? Inspired by a snapchat filter, the look is absolute nightmare fuel
By genre standards, the acting here is better than we’ve come to expect. Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey and Violett Beane lead a cast of high-energy actors who want nothing more than an exciting, thrilling, and unforgettable final spring break. Hale and Beane play Olivia and Markie, best friends with a wealth of skeletons in their respective closets. Together they form the heart and soul of the film, leading their friends through their hellish final semester.
Though Posey is set as the male lead, it is ultimately Hayden Szeto who steals the limelight as Brad Chang. Chang, a gay man who has hidden his orientation from his straight-laced father, provides an honest, true, and current story arc that drives the film forward during otherwise sluggish stretches.
Though Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare doesn’t reinvent the genre in any way, shape or form, that shouldn’t be seen as a negative. In much the same vein as Final Destination and The Ring, this film is pure fun – a part of the movie going experience that we often overlook.
