In the underrated 2010 horror film Chain Letter, six High School friends are sent an e-mail chain letter that they must pass on to others or some brute of a serial killer will use chains (get it) to exact pain and suffering.
If this all sounds routinely boring or low budget – think again. Chain Letter might not give Inception a run for the most interesting and inventive film of the year, but it is an above average horror film with serviceable acting and some good gore contained within its 120 minute frame.
As with any good horror, a challenging and memorable beginning can make or break an entire film, and in Chain Letter, director Deon Taylor gives us an opening that catches our attention with a scene that still lacks the bloody payoff. A female body with a duct taped face is lying in a garage. Chains from both her feet are shown leading to two separate vehicles parked in the garage. As the unsuspecting drivers of the two vehicles begin to travel in seemingly separate directions, we watch aghast at the carnage that is about to ensue.
The film then introduces us to the six lead characters of the film which are lead by the gorgeous Nikki Reed (Twilight) as Jessie Campbell. When each of them are forwarded a mysterious chain letter, they are quick to dismiss it even as the communication hints at a life lost if instructions are not followed.
But things have to be taken more seriously after one of them disappears and others are found murdered in gruesome fashion. So with a detective (played by the ever consistent Keith David) trying to put the pieces of the murderous rampage together and the remaining group of friends struggling with emotions and the fear of being 'next', Chain Letter hits its groove and delivers on the many levels that usual straight-to-DVD horror films ignore.
That's not to suggest that Chain Letter is perfect or is the 'next big thing' as a potential franchise. But with a cast that also includes Brad Dourif and Betsy Russell and a killer that says not a word but goes about his bloody work, Chain Letter proves that a horror film can stick to many of the usual conventions and still be a valued piece of entertainment.
www.killerreviews.com
If this all sounds routinely boring or low budget – think again. Chain Letter might not give Inception a run for the most interesting and inventive film of the year, but it is an above average horror film with serviceable acting and some good gore contained within its 120 minute frame.
As with any good horror, a challenging and memorable beginning can make or break an entire film, and in Chain Letter, director Deon Taylor gives us an opening that catches our attention with a scene that still lacks the bloody payoff. A female body with a duct taped face is lying in a garage. Chains from both her feet are shown leading to two separate vehicles parked in the garage. As the unsuspecting drivers of the two vehicles begin to travel in seemingly separate directions, we watch aghast at the carnage that is about to ensue.
The film then introduces us to the six lead characters of the film which are lead by the gorgeous Nikki Reed (Twilight) as Jessie Campbell. When each of them are forwarded a mysterious chain letter, they are quick to dismiss it even as the communication hints at a life lost if instructions are not followed.
But things have to be taken more seriously after one of them disappears and others are found murdered in gruesome fashion. So with a detective (played by the ever consistent Keith David) trying to put the pieces of the murderous rampage together and the remaining group of friends struggling with emotions and the fear of being 'next', Chain Letter hits its groove and delivers on the many levels that usual straight-to-DVD horror films ignore.
That's not to suggest that Chain Letter is perfect or is the 'next big thing' as a potential franchise. But with a cast that also includes Brad Dourif and Betsy Russell and a killer that says not a word but goes about his bloody work, Chain Letter proves that a horror film can stick to many of the usual conventions and still be a valued piece of entertainment.
www.killerreviews.com