Review of 13 Sins (2014) by Midlands M — 01 Dec 2014

This independent horror is a remake of a 2006 Thai film called 13 Beloved and the film is a (very) dark horror comedy where a regular guy is contacted by a mysterious caller who gives him 13 increasingly difficult and immoral (AND later on illegal) challenges to complete to help him win a large amount of cash.

He has high debts, a pregnant fiancée and has recently lost his job all the while worrying about his disabled brother who is scared about being taken back to a home. The rules stated by the voice on the phone simply state if he fails to complete any challenge then he loses the money gained up until that point but after checking his bank account, the protagonist - a Sam Rockwell-alike Mark Webber as Elliot - finds the cash as promised under his ownership.

As the rewards rise then so do the stakes and these actions stir the interest of local police officers. Will Elliot be able to complete the challenges or will he lose his bottle? A cameo by Ron Perlman as a senior detective is a welcome but too little-too late addition to a well intentioned but ultimately inconsequential film.

Although you may root for Elliot at the outset, his addictive personality (a drug parallel is hinted upon by the director) gives way to his baser instincts and the audience may feel turned off from the dark dangerous tasks he is asked to finish.

I felt that the film was a run of the mill thriller with a few interesting new ideas but without knowing who the real enemy/antagonist is, the film falters from one challenge to the next with far too many questions unanswered.

6/10 Midlands Movies Mike.