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Cheap Thrills Film Review

We’ve all been there. You’re out with your mates, the drinks are flowing, and one of your friends turns to you and says “$10 if you skull that beer’’ or “$20 if you hit on that girl over there.’’ Then taking the money and inevitably proceeding to humiliate yourself.

This is the underlying concept of El Katz’s debut black comedy horror film Cheap Thrills. The film starts innocently enough when high school buddies Craig (Pat Healy) and Vince (Ethan Embry) bump into each other at a Los Angeles dive bar. Craig is a depressed, innocuous, family man who has just lost his job, while Vince is a tough, hard-nosed ex con. While catching up for a few drinks the pair are drawn into a series of (seemingly) harmless dares after meeting charming millionaire Colin (David Koechner) and his beautiful wife Violet (Sarah Paxton). However as the stakes increase from hundreds to thousands of dollars, so do the dares, which become more challenging and sinister as the night goes on.

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The film, despite only having a very small budget makes up for this shortcoming with some exceptional acting (especially from the two leads) and a wickedly amusing script. David Koecher delivers a career performance as the eccentric millionaire, who despite being somewhat of a sociopath, manages to come off as remarkably funny. The differing characteristics between the two leads is what makes this film especially interesting. The dynamic between Vince as the stereotypical tough guy and Craig as an unassuming family man makes for an incredibly compelling contrast, and as the movie unfolds the audience slowly realizes that when the stakes are high, looks can be deceiving.

Where this film really hits home however is with the overall viewer experience. The “who dares, wins’’ concept of the film makes it especially fun and engaging. As the two men continue to humiliate, embarrass, fight and maim each other for absurd sums of money I found myself sub-consciously participating as I thought to myself, “Could I do that?.’’ This effectively gave the film a more interactive feel, and made for a more enjoyable experience.

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Overall Cheap Thrills is an action packed roller coaster that will take you on a ride you’re guaranteed not to forget. Its refreshingly original and surely not one to missed. Careful though, it’s not for the faint hearted.

Text by Kyle Evans

 

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