Monster Mania Day 8: Would You Rather?

Written by Stu Cooper

Earlier this year I watched a horror film that really stuck with me. I was able to DVR it last week and re-watch it, and I liked it even more the second time. The film is called “Would You Rather” which is a play on the old childhood game where you are given two options, both of which are usually unpleasant, and you have to pick the lesser of two evils. The premise of the movie revolves around this, except in a more adult format. The film follows a young girl named Iris (Brittany Snow) as she desperately tries to save money for her ill younger brother. She is the only person left in her brother's life and is working her ass off trying to pay for all his medical expenses, but it's not enough. She then meets a man by the name of Shepard Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs) who is filthy rich and has invented his own dinner party game, which results in the winner getting whatever they want. Iris reluctantly accepts his invitation to the party. It's not until Iris sits down for dinner at the party, that she realizes she is part of a truly twisted game. As it turns out, the dinner party is actually a game of “Would You Rather” in which Iris and the other members of the party must choose between various torture exercises, and whether or not to inflict that torture on themselves...or someone else. I'm not a big fan of films like SAW with a lot of torture, but this film had a pretty clever story and TONS of great underrated actors, so I didn't find myself too overwhelmed with the violence that unfolds.

The cast is where this film truly shines. Not only do you have horror and sci-fi master Jeffrey Combs in a main role, but you have the beautiful Brittany Snow, Ricky from the Trailer Park Boys (this really excited me since that is one of my favorite shows), Enver Gjokaj (From Joss Whedon's Dollhouse), Eddie Steeples (Crabman from My Name is Earl), and to top it off Sasha Grey (From...porn). The cast is a whose who of random interesting people, so it makes for a great dinner party. The film is truly morbid but it does have a purpose and does have something that everyone can identify with. What would you do to fulfill your dreams? What would you do to save the lives of those you love? You get to watch as these people figure that out for themselves, in the most brutal way possible. I definitely recommend this film, but it's not for those with a weak stomach. It's available on Amazon, DVD, and I caught it showing on Cinemax so you may be able to DVR it. Don't miss this one!