The Price We Pay

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source: The Price We Pay

The first half hour is inviting, intriguing almost, even if the dialogue is straight out of an 80's action flick. Okay, pal? But once the family arrives at the ranch, the movie devolves quickly and exceptionally. First, by going with the lowest possible denominator, torture *. A training ground for practical effects teams, as well as the refuge of smaller and/or damaged minds. One has to wonder what would make somebody enjoy it. And then after some minutes of that, things get resolved rather easily and ridiculously. In fact, 40 minutes in the movie does away with all logic and just tries to push the shock all the way to 11. No story, just juvenile drivel.

I really don't understand the bad reviews for this - what did you expect? It's a high energy, funny horror movie in the style of From dusk till dawn and Texas chain saw massacre! It's pretty much wild action from the start, some mystery - which has a good payoff, and the final 'boss' has an unusual... twist. Loads of crazy gore, good acting and a claustrophobic middle of nowhere setting. If you enjoy these kinds of horror movies, and this one looks like it has a decent budget, then check it out. It's not the usual cheap, boring rubbish which so many direct to streaming movies are these days. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The plot of this film has been shamelessly copied from movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I expected more from director Ryuhei Kitamura who directed the cult Clive Barker masterpiece The Midnight Meat Train (2008). I sure wasn't expecting this trash. As an afterthought, the movie Wrong Turn's plot was also borrowed. And there's a point in the movie where Ryuhei Kitamura pays homage to his idol Clive Barker. But pointless. Verdict: don't watch this movie as it's not even worth your time. There's nothing new. It is just an amalgam of cult horror movies that have graced the screen decades earlier. The plot of the film is simple: a robbery gone wrong and the perpetrators seek shelter at a desolate farmhouse where much as been going on than meets the eye. Stephen Dorff(Blade) and Vernon Wells(Commando, Mad Max 2: The Road Warriors) are the more notable actors. The direction is so bad that my attention immediately diverted onto other better things. I have mentioned time and time again, Hollywood is dead. Watch movies that you have missed decades into the past. You will find hidden gems that you have overlooked. Trust me.

I've seen a lot of worse films to be honest, and with better known actors. It's a slasher of epic proportions in the typical Japanese style with lots of blood and gore, and copious amounts of unhuman barbarism to people. If you're used to things like Saw and the Hostel series of films you're probably going to like this. It's got the right amount of brutality and blood to keep any fan happy. It's a ludicrous plot, with at times silly dialogue, but in fact it does bring a bit of tension by the clever way it's directed and filmed. I used to be a fan of Stephen Dorff back in the day but he went off my radar for years until this film. Emile Hirsch was never a great actor, but he's definitely done better than this one. I think the standout was Grace played by Gigi Zumbado. Not a bad role and quite well played all things considered. Buying the DVD is completely out of the question but if you want a bit of tension, with a few chuckles thrown in for good measure, this is definitely worth a look one night with a friend and a couple of beers.

The Price We Pay is a thought-provoking title for this film. If the title had a question mark at the end, it would seem more like a targeted question to this film's viewing audience. The price I paid was an hour and a half I could have been watching a better show. Emile Hirsch's character is needle-breaking on the uncomfortable cringe scale. I really would have loved it if Dorff's character punched Hirsch's character in the face at some time during the film. The only actor I thought had some talent is Stephen Dorff. But the screenplay is abysmal. The campy gory special effects were terrible. This might be a film for anyone who loves campy gory films but has little to offer anyone who wants a true fright. Even for a B-movie, it scraps the floor.