Dead Man's Curve revolves around an urban legend that if your college roommate commits suicide, you get pass grades for the term to help ease your pain. Enter Chris {Michael Vartan} and Tim {Matthew Lillard} who decide to test this theory by offing their buddy Rand {Randall Batinkoff}. It's a deliciously evil premise that thankfully, in spite of the film's low reputation, makes for an enjoyable genre spliced viewing.
Directed and written by Dan Rosen, Dead Man's Curve has a clever plot at its core, our pair of rotters, tho Chris is a sheepish accomplice to the dominant Tim, set it up nicely by way of chatty concerns with the school psychologist and the shifty purchase of depressing music. Aided by some women troubles in the mix, the pair execute their plan, but all is not quite that simple as the plot unravels it twists and turns and delivers an ending that is as genius as it is unexpected. And that's in a good way as well.
The young cast, handsome and ebullient, do fine work here, particularly Lillard, who expands on his loony turn in Scream from two years earlier with much maniacal relish. The older actors, however, don't fair so well, courtesy of either being underwritten or merely for being plot fillers. But hey, if all lady psychologist's look like Dana Delaney then I'm going to sign myself up for a bit of therapy.
Naturally with a premise like this it's far from perfect and the implausibility factors are high, but Rosen has a wry observation on American dorm life. Be it the pressures of success or the need to be part of a group, Rosen and his on form cast have created a darkly comic piece of devilment. The soundtrack is excellent, and for sure it's laden with misery from the likes of The Smiths and Bauhaus, while the Elk Neck Lighthouse location work evokes memories of tidy creepers from days of yore.
A fine story told and executed well, give it a go and you may just be as pleasantly surprised as I was. 7/10
Directed and written by Dan Rosen, Dead Man's Curve has a clever plot at its core, our pair of rotters, tho Chris is a sheepish accomplice to the dominant Tim, set it up nicely by way of chatty concerns with the school psychologist and the shifty purchase of depressing music. Aided by some women troubles in the mix, the pair execute their plan, but all is not quite that simple as the plot unravels it twists and turns and delivers an ending that is as genius as it is unexpected. And that's in a good way as well.
The young cast, handsome and ebullient, do fine work here, particularly Lillard, who expands on his loony turn in Scream from two years earlier with much maniacal relish. The older actors, however, don't fair so well, courtesy of either being underwritten or merely for being plot fillers. But hey, if all lady psychologist's look like Dana Delaney then I'm going to sign myself up for a bit of therapy.
Naturally with a premise like this it's far from perfect and the implausibility factors are high, but Rosen has a wry observation on American dorm life. Be it the pressures of success or the need to be part of a group, Rosen and his on form cast have created a darkly comic piece of devilment. The soundtrack is excellent, and for sure it's laden with misery from the likes of The Smiths and Bauhaus, while the Elk Neck Lighthouse location work evokes memories of tidy creepers from days of yore.
A fine story told and executed well, give it a go and you may just be as pleasantly surprised as I was. 7/10