Die (II) (2010) User Reviews

Unlucky 6.

[Someguysomwhere · 6/10 · 23 January 2011]

Billionaire Robert moretti: Does fund raisers for the needy. Drugs and prostitutes as well.

Mark Murdoch: Self-loathing, tired, alcoholic cop, under investigation for a killing.

Lisa Meridan: After the birth of her son, disappears from home periodically, chronic gambler.

Dr. Diane Robinson: A woman of faith who has never gotten over the sickness and death of her child.

Dr. Zach Emmet: Battling depression for accidentally over prescribing medication and under investigation.

Melody chambers: Drug-addicted prostitute, issues of rejection; being unloved.

The 6 people above have tried to commit suicide and are held captive and forced to play a game of chance or fate using a die as it's instrument. The game is called "The Trials" wherein the captives are forced to use the method by which they tried to kill themselves against their fellow captives along with a roll of a die to decide the severity of the method and the probability of survival. For example, if you tried to kill yourself with a gun then you are forced by your captor to roll the die to decide how many bullets should be loaded; after which time you would point it at your fellow captive and fire.

There is a diversity of captives since the people are randomly selected based on opportunity. In other words, whoever tries to off themselves unsuccessfully and are in the awareness of this madman are selected; imprisoned below in glass cages to experience The Trials wherein they are offered --according to the madman-- "a chance to be reborn". I have to concede, reluctantly, that there was a certain logic to his madness. These people, after all, wanted to --and attempted to-- kill themselves. So with his help they either had the opportunity to get it right this time, or live and "want to live" after being brought very close to death.

One by one the principals are introduced at the top of the movie. They go missing. Detective Valenti (very attractive woman and accent) is suspicious of the circumstances when these people start turning up with "dots" on their wrists; some lucky to be alive, some not. Along with the missing is her friend and mentor Mark Murdoch. The police chief keeps trying to dissuade her, telling her to go home. In essence, that there's nothing to these incidents and she's wasting her time and the department's. She has strong instincts and doggedly pursues.

This movie is not about elaborate ways to kill and torture anyone. The villain may be a nut of some variety but he's not a sadist. Indeed he even comes across as sympathetic and understanding sometimes. So the methods used here are the everyday conventional methods that are used by people everyday against themselves and others. Pointedly: the very methods these unfortunate 6 used against themselves. Rather, this movie is about irony, choices, life and death. You must now use the method by which you tried to kill yourself against someone else. You now have a second chance to die or live --what do you want? Will you cooperate with your captor, or not? What choice do you have? Can you live with the responsibility of being the instrument of another's death? These are some examples of these people's dilemma. The drama of the movie, tension of it, is all about this. The performances are so good by everyone in this movie that you are definitely drawn in and absorbed. Well worth your time, I believe. Love Boloxxxi.

Yet another Saw rip-off movie that is actually better then most of the others. Entertaining and worth a watch but nothing new. I say B

[cosmo_tiger · 6/10 · 21 March 2012]

"When you have seen the things that I have seen you begin to live by your own rules." After a group of six strangers wake up in the same room they start to wonder how they got there. When the man that brought them there begins to force them to use a die to decide the fate of each other the group looks for a way to fight back. I have said before that Hollywood is out of ideas. Once one movie hits big the rips-offs begin coming from everywhere. This one is in the vein of the "Saw" franchise. A man forces a group of strangers to face their flaws in order to change things. This one does not have any of the gore that "Saw" did but it does have the same idea. The people that are playing the "game" are not innocents and are forced to choose between who they want to be and who they were. While this is not a bad movie at all it is about the 100th version of "Saw" that I have seen so this is really nothing new. I will say that in it's own way it is entertaining and if you like these type of movies it's worth a watch. Overall, another "Saw" rip-off that is better then most. I give it a B.

Interesting

[gambit70 · 6/10 · 11 April 2013]

I found this movie better than expected (given its lowish rating). In some respects it didn't go anywhere but it had clever elements and I found the role reversals of the deaths interesting. ***Spolier*** How would people who commit suicide feel about having to deal with the same situation they are putting other people in (eg the person who found them)

It seemed to be based on the concept of "The Dice Man", a novel by Luke Rhinehart, which I read years ago (and has also stuck with me... a powerful book).

This movie wont rock anyone's world but the acting is solid even if the storyline is a little... vague?

Promising Beginning, Beautiful Cinematography, Intriguing Atmosphere and Awful Storyline with a Rip-off of "Cube" and "Saw" and Overrated Reviews

[claudio_carvalho · 3/10 · 25 May 2013]

Six strangers awake in a cell in an underground facility. In flashbacks, their lives are exposed and in common, they are destroyed by their acts. Mark Murdock (Elias Koteas) is a nihilist detective that does not have any hope in his career. Lisa Meridian (Emily Hampshire) is an addicted gambler that has destroyed her marriage. Robert Moretti (Fabio Fulco) is a self-destructive millionaire that tried to commit suicide. Melody Chambers (Katie Boland) is a young prostitute addicted in drugs. Zach Emmett (Karl Pruner) is a psychiatrist that has been suffering for two years for a fatal wrong prescription to a patient. Diane Robinson (Patricia McKenzie) is a nurse that lost her two year-old child and tried to commit suicide.

Soon they learn that they have been abducted by the disturbed Jacob Odessa (John Pyper-Ferguson), who saw his father committing suicide when he was a boy. Jacob forces each prisoner to toss a dice in a deadly game of Russian roulette against another participant in a sort of trial. The survivors would have a chance to reborn in a new existence.

"Die" is a movie with a promising beginning, beautiful cinematography, intriguing atmosphere and awful storyline with a rip-off of "Cube" and "Saw" and overrated reviews. Despite the good performances, the explanation for the sick game of the deranged Jacob Odessa is brainless and ridiculous. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Jogos Suicidas" ("Suicide Games")

Saw-wannabe indie sucks

[PPPuro · 1/10 · 15 January 2011]

At first, this is just disjointed depiction of random characters who do random things, of which nothing is explained nor elaborated. Then it suddenly jumps into a silly little Saw-wannabe scenario in which a die (yeah, we get the title now, clever) determines the fates of the characters. Roll a six and six bullets are inserted into a revolver, roll a one and just one is. Now play Russian roulette.

Obviously the smartest thing is to load the bullet and shoot the evil die- dude, which amazingly this police guy does - only he does't quite succeed, because he's only a police, therefore quite unable to handle guns.

At this point, I had had enough, and quit. There are much better things to waste my life on than watching such low-level crappy films. To be avoided.

Unimaginative, dull and completely unsurprising

[ausibanez · 1/10 · 16 January 2011]

I must admit it had potential but the execution did not work. What I thought was going to be a diabolical, masterminded thriller ended up being a mess of a loosely developed plot, unimaginative characters and completing lacking of any suspense or excitement. The movie was reminiscent of the Saw series (without the gore) but missed out on any aspect that would keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

It's honestly difficult to find good qualities in this film. Just when you think a particular scene is getting interesting, it rips that all away from you in moments that leave you constantly asking "is that it?" I was wishing the entire time that, following each scene, it would have gone in another direction.

Simply a waste of time to watch. It is a flop and completely unworthy of anyone's attention.

Once again, reviewer fail

[cppguy · 7/10 · 21 November 2012]

Those of you giving this a 1 rating need to explain why it's worse than "Manos, the hands of Fate." Those giving it a 10 star need to explain why it's better than "Shawshank Redemption." The cast is good. The plot sufficiently convoluted. I recently watched "Rampart" and I considered that a grand waste of time. At least "Die" was compelling.

I have said that movie reviews often say more about the reviewer than the movie. Gunot213 says "I've never given a film 1/10 before..." but his only other review is of "Halloween" to which he gives a 1 star. Get a clue before you give a review.

This is no "Saw" clone any more than "Saw" drew from other sources. If any comparisons are made to "Saw" it should be that the "teacher" wants his "students" to succeed in "Die." It makes "Saw" hypocritical by comparison.

"Die" is watchable, not totally predictable, imperfect in some ways, but has proper production values, cinematography, acting and plot. Anyone giving this film 1-2 stars should be subjected to perpetually watching the Justin Bieber movie until a proper review is given.

No

[pscottholmes · 23 October 2011]

10 minutes into a film you wake up in a windowless dungeon with some strangers. Of course, you have questions... Question 1: who are you? - Yes, credible. Question 2: How long have you been here? - I don't think so.

The film lost me here. Actually the 10 minutes prior to this question was at best wishy-washy and at worst meaningless, so there was little to 'lose'.

The following hour and a bit was time I will never get back.

Why didn't they just pay the option for Luke Rheinhart's 'The Dice Man' and make something worthwhile.

Bland attempt at a Saw rip-off

[wormsoftheerth · 3/10 · 24 October 2012]

After reading the synopsis, I'm sure your mind will immediately think "OK this is obviously a Saw rip off" - and you'd be absolutely correct. There are a large number of elements that appear to be direct rip offs from the Saw series (namely the first). I am totally OK with rip-offs of good movies, if the rip off is well done...this one isn't. I really love Saw, so I might come off as slightly biased, but what made that movie great (other than the novelty) was the suspense, the constant twists that kept you guessing, the fantastically dark, gritty atmospheres, and the brilliant way the characters and story events were interwoven + how it was all brought together in the end; "Die" is completely ineffective in all of these. Watching "Die" will make you appreciate the way the story is told in Saw. In this movie the story telling is completely disjointed - I loved how in Saw the two characters woke up in a room with no knowledge of what was going on and the story built from there, slowly recounting the character's pasts, etc. In Die you have the same concept, except that the story jumps around randomly between back story, the characters being trapped, and the cops (whose storyline seems like a weak afterthought). None of the characters seem to be truly fleshed out, and many of them die before you learn anything of interest about them. You keep waiting for the twists and the interconnected story lines, yet none come. Furthermore, the method of the bad guy is completely stupid and makes no sense. They try to give him a jigsaw-like quality of this near omnipotent figure who is always 2 steps ahead combined with higher morality (half of his lines sound like direct quotes from Jigsaw - appreciate your life blah blah) being the reason for putting this together, however you quickly see that his methodology centers around randomness -- "fate" as he puts it (dice rolling) -- and every "trap" functions in exactly the same, simplistic manner. You fail suicide (isn't that already fate?), so he is going to put you in a situation where you have absolutely no control over whether you live/die to prove that you should appreciate your life? Uh, WHAT? One other thing that was really ridiculous to me is that all this guy had was a handgun (sometimes he didn't even draw it) with little to no further measures to protect himself, yet the characters put up no fight whatsoever, even though they could have likely taken this guy out pretty easily(sometimes they even have things they could use as weapons). I typically make a point to finish all movies just to see if there is some redeeming bit at the end, but I had somewhere to go with about 20 minutes remaining on this and I didn't have the desire to bother finishing it. Maybe some kind of amazing twist lies at the end, but from the complete lack of build and tension, I highly doubt it. The production values are fine, the acting is OK, but the story is just poor and the entire thing simply feels so pointless.

Poor Man's Saw

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 23 February 2014]

I will try to stretch this review to 10 lines but I really don't want to. This movie was terrible. It gets a two for originality, a three for suspense, a two for cinematography (it was 80's like), a four for acting and I don't care to even mention other facets.

Will everyone stop trying to be the next Saw. There are so many movies out there that have tried and failed at the whole social experiment to either expose the truth or allow people to be reborn. It's tired already, and in this case it was done in such a lame fashion.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Is everyone that compliant when they are facing imminent danger or death? Are you really so dense as to give a loaded gun to your captive? Everyone that was forced into their rebirth and survived lived happily ever after?

Get the bleep out of here and get over yourself.

Dark and intriguing

[birdieleigh · 8/10 · 29 October 2012]

I'm sensing a theme among negative reviews: that this is a SAW rip-off without the gore. As much of a sweeping statement that is, and how little credit it gives to this movie, I can see where they're coming from. I was always fascinated by the small amount of psychological horror in the SAW franchise, but felt like it was too much of a gorefest to truly be able to appreciate it.

On the other hand, "Die" takes all of the elements I had wished to see in SAW and uses them full-force: there's the murky morality, the inescapable desperation, choices that don't feel like choices. "Die" is violent, but it is subtly so, and focuses a lot more on the characters and what they're going through. I found it incredibly intriguing and entertaining. The acting was good, the cinematography well-done--overall, I was impressed.

Zzzzzzzzz....

[One_slice_of_pizza · 3/10 · 6 October 2013]

Die, is just a saw franchise clone trying so hard to be serious but falls short on many aspects. The characters are two dimensional. Yes, we know their back stories and why they are there however, we don't care. None of the characters including the detective are interesting enough to keep watching. After 30 minutes or so the movie gets so boring that it is almost impossible to stay awake.

The story is dull and uninteresting. Who gives a crap about a bunch of losers and their choices in life? There's nothing to be sympathetic here nor there's anything sufficient enough to connect with the characters. They roll the dice on each other and they either die or not.

I see that the movie tried to have as little gore as possible, and probably this is why many people voted 2-3 stars on average. It was a huge mistake, because if the killings would have been gory and original, the movie could have been a lot more successful and would at least satisfy the gore lovers hunger, in my opinion.

All in all, this is a sawesque cliché movie with very boring storyline, empty characters and non existent gore. I would say skip and go watch something else instead.

3/10 for the cinematography.

Good looking film!

[angelagrrr · 8/10 · 8 April 2011]

Well, the premises did sound like something we've all heard of before, but the way the plot unravels actually really makes it worth your while. If you pay attention you'll notice how clues are carefully placed throughout the film and how everything falls back in to place. As I watched it I became more and more interested in the characters and their stories, and the atmosphere created by the sound design and the cinematography enveloped me and made me "believe"... I am not sure this is film for all audiences, I mean that - differently from most thrillers, this is a film for mainly adult audiences who are willing to think as they watch a film. The look of the film is great and the acting is, for the most part, amazing. I enjoyed it and would watch a second time.

DIE is original, smart and filled with twists.

[savannapink · 10/10 · 24 May 2011]

I think that what makes this movie good is the basic idea behind it. The people being held captive are forced to roll a die (there is a back story as to why the guy holding them hostage makes them roll a die, but I'll let you find that out for yourself when you watch it) and then the outcome of their roll impacts someone else. For example, a man has to role a die and what number it lands on he must put that many bullets in a gun and shoot at the person. Another woman has to roll the die and what number it lands on depends on how many minutes a man has to be submerged under water (if it lands on 1 it is only one minute, 2 is 2 minutes and so on). I just thought that it was a cool idea that hasn't been done before as far as I know and it was fun to watch the outcome of each roll of the die. I'll give it to the writer, Domenico Salvaggio, that this is a pretty cool concept for a film and I think that most viewers would agree.

It isn't ultra violent, but I was so into the story that I didn't really mind this time around (normally I am one of those people who thinks the more violent and gory a movie is the better). We get a guy getting his brain blown out, a drowning, and someone who has a large portion of their blood drained from their body but other than that there wasn't a great deal of slicing and dicing. The deaths are pretty subtle, but I thought that it worked considering the overall tone of the movie. I think that if the death scenes would have been over the top hardcore and blood drenched that they wouldn't have quite worked. The movie has a more realistic feel to it and I liked the fact that the filmmakers didn't try to make the deaths super violent and gory (wow, being a gore hound myself I never thought I would make such a statement. The end of the world may be nigh, fellas).

I really liked the cast of characters as well. Elias Koteas (who is looking pretty rough and worse for wear these days) is top notch as Mark, the suicidal cop who is under investigation for killing someone. Emily Hampshire is also equally good as the woman who isn't so happy to be a mother who suffers from a gambling addiction. The person who steals the show though, is John Pyper-Ferguson who does a great job playing the demented antagonist Jacob. I thought that this character was just kick ass and he would make a perfect Batman villain. I wouldn't necessarily say that he is an evil person as in his sick and twisted mind he thinks he is helping the people he abducts. He has a pretty cool back story and he is just so insane and out there you can't help but like him. Though his methods may be a little unorthodox I think that deep down he truly wants to help others, so in my opinion I can't really say that the character is a bad person.

I thought that the ending was great as well. There are a couple of pretty cool twists toward the end that I didn't see coming and both of them work. I am not going to say a word about either one as I want you to find these out for yourself when you watch them, but let's just say that at least one of them comes completely out of nowhere and I could actually see it happening in real life. The ending leaves things open for a sequel, and I really hope that the filmmakers follow through. I know I wouldn't mind seeing the next chapter of the story.

I was really into "Die." While it is more of a thriller than a horror movie I still thought it was good and I enjoyed it. Some people may not give it a chance as they may dismiss it as a "Saw" knock off, but I assure you that isn't the case. It is well-written, suspenseful, and has a couple of cool twists that make you think. I urge you to check it out. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Actually really liked it!!

[kaysild · 10/10 · 7 February 2013]

I'm not sure why this movie doesn't have better ratings and any reviews!! I watched it on a whim on Netflix and really enjoyed it. Which says a lot bc I am not a big television/movie watcher, more of a book reader. And when I do watch movies I usually hate action drama types and stick to comedies. Anyway I thought it was very interesting, well thought out, & very different from all the other crap I've seen lately! I had to give it 10stars bc the ratings were so low! I'm really glad I gave this movie a chance! I don't want to give anything away so ill just say you should definitely try it out and maybe your perspective on things will change for the better.

Dark, twisted, well imagined thriller building on the Saw idea

[Robert_duder · 9/10 · 9 February 2012]

When I first saw the original Saw movie I referred to as 'almost' the best movie I had ever seen. Die took the idea, really they carbon copied it, but then they added to it, did some artistic tweaking, made it into a dramatic thriller instead of gore induced horror. But the real speciality of Die is the small details of the world where it takes place. Die is reminiscent of the film Se7en (an AMAZING honour to be compared to in my books) because the world is not described as much as it is just shown. There is this dark, mysterious, gritty, almost futuristic look to the unnamed city. Its a city of death and depression and gambling with an almost Sin City quality to its look in certain shots. Not enough of the city is shown in my opinion but it is truly about the characters not the setting but the setting plays a vital role in this being as good as it was. Some critics will say that the film doesn't spend enough time giving you the character backgrounds and that might be true but you learn enough to make them important and understand the dark truth behind both them and the trials they are being put through.

There really isn't one major star in the film, everyone sort of shares screen time and importance in the script. I have always really enjoyed Elias Koteas but he hasn't had some great roles. In this film he is solid as the depressed and apparently disgraced Police Detective. He has a mysterious background but also this tough anti-hero persona that makes him sort of the leader on the cast. He is terrific and dark. John Pyper-Ferguson was probably born to play a twisted, sadistic cult leader and he is perfect in this role. He doesn't come across as truly psychotic as Saw's Jigsaw killer but instead is more of a subtle and intelligent psycho so to speak. There was definitely more they could have explored with him but he does very well. Emily Hampshire does a great job playing Lisa, the down on her luck woman desperate to live. She is definitely unexplored as a character but she still adds significance to the story. Patricia McKenzie and Katie Boland also deserve mention in excellent roles.

This is Canadian Director Dominic James first full length film and he deserves great kudos! The style for this film should be really scrutinized because if you blink you'll miss it but there is some really great stuff in here. On top of that the film is downright entertaining with an intriguing twist to the whole story. Much like the original Saw (the comparisons are obvious as the plot is almost identical,) this really is only a small snap shot of what could be explored in the film but this is perhaps all we will get. But take it for what it is and really explore what they've done here because it is thrilling, exciting, dark, gritty, disturbing, even gory in its own way. A lot of IMDb reviewers have some really bad things to say about it but I think there is more here than what some might see. Check it out because it was excellent!! 9/10

Roll the die

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 20 January 2021]

Six strangers all find themselves trapped together in a strange underground facility. They are all forced by their mysterious captor Jacob Odessa (a strong and commanding portrayal by John Pyper-Ferguson) to participate in a lethal game in which a person's ultimate fate is determined by a high stakes game of dice.

Director Dominic Jones relates the intriguing story at a steady pace, maintains a dark grim tone throughout, and generates a good deal of tension. Domenico Salvaggio's smart and thoughtful script offers an interesting exploration on the themes of fate, redemption, responsibility, and second chances, with Jacob coming across as a kind of twisted moralist who forces people to own up to the dire consequences of their bad actions and decisions. The excellent acting by the bang-up cast rates as another major asset: Elias Koteas as burnt-out cop Mark Murdock, Caterina Murino as Murdock's persistent partner Sofia Valentino, Emily Hampshire as down on her luck gambler Lisa Meridian, Patricia McKenzie as weary nurse Diane Robinson, Karl Pruner as guilt-ridden shrink Zach Emmett, Katie Boland as pathetic teen junkie Melody Chambers, and Fabio Fulco as dashing millionaire Robert Moretti. Kudos are also in order for the striking widescreen cinematography by Nicolas Bolduc and Giulio Pietromarchi. An on the money movie.

Another Saw (without the gore)- Worth Watching!!!

[Topaz1922 · 8/10 · 11 November 2012]

I thought the movie was pretty good. Although, it looks bland and dark in the beginning, the ending all makes sense and ties to the beginning of the movie. The story involves six people who all have something in common are kidnapped and made to decide the fate of others just as they have chosen to do in their own lives. I like the "saw-like" qualities of this movie where people who do not value this thing called life are made to value it.

It's funny how people who say they wanna die and actually attempt to take their lives will do whatever they can do to stay alive when they are given the true chance to die. It's a great movie and worth watching!

You won't be sorry watching this

[pwmartuneac · 8/10 · 15 September 2012]

First off, before I even get into the movie, I just want to say that everyone writing such scathing reviews against this movie need to stop. They're rating this movie based on what they wanted to see in it, and not what the director intended, which is as foolish as one can be. If your only gripe is that "it's like Saw without the gore", then you need to open your eyes.

Anyway, onto the movie. In a word: great. The reason stated above for why people think it's so bad is actually what makes the movie so good. It provides suspense, drama, and tough moral decisions without the senseless and excessive blood and guts. It's a little confusing at first, and if you don't pay attention you may find yourself lost later in the movie, so for that I take one star off of the rating. It also has one or two minor plot flaws, so for that I take off one more star; but on that detail, I dare you to show me just ONE movie that does not have even a single hole in the plot. You can't do it.

All in all, this was an outstanding movie, given that it doesn't have any big names in the acting, producing, or directing and it definitely deserves a lot of attention. The plot is absorbing, the characters are interesting, and the moral of the story really makes you think. I give it 8 out of 10, and would daresay that this is a "must-watch" movie, especially if you're bored on a weekend night and feel like watching something you haven't seen before.

Nice, simple thriller!

[DoctorScarlettJones · 10/10 · 9 April 2012]

I don't know what previous reviewers were thinking but they obviously didn't see the same film I did. I guess some folks just like over the top slasher porn and others have a different idea of what's entertaining.

I don't like gruesomely over the top and poorly acted horror porn. In fact, I think those kinds of films are garbage. But, to each his or her own.

This film was great. Well crafted screenplay, intriguing story, the opening scene was a nice insight into Jacob Odd's motivation and so long as you pay attention, which isn't difficult with this film, you would make the connection right away between that scene and the rest of the film.

This film is great, simple storyline, uncomplicated as a thriller should be. You don't really question what, who, or where, but you do have to figure out the why and the how.

I liked this film for it's simplicity. One of the best thrillers I've seen. Glad I bought the DVD, and not just because I'm a fan of one of the actors.

Do Not Believe the Low IMDB Rating

[songod-95003 · 8/10 · 3 July 2022]

I have not read through all the arm chair reviewer complaints but most seem to circle around this being a take on "Saw". Yes indeed there are elements, but only elements.

FYI: The "game of chance" we know as "Roll of the Dice" is really "Roll of the Die". Be it one two, it is still roll of the die, not dice.

Fine performances from all involved and an engaging story that may take a page from "Saw" but quickly establishes itself as something entirely different (the similarity begins and ends with strangers locked in a cell and having to play a game to decide fates. The end game, the why, all are new to this story). The final denouement makes us realize just how beyond our imagining the scope is.

Elias Kotes is the best known star; but again, everyone delivers.

Recommended!