Review of Dare (2013) by Daniel K — 26 Mar 2010

3: The films one is completely surprised by are perhaps the best. This was the case here as Dare was shockingly good compared to what I was expecting. It certainly helps to not know much about a picture beforehand, which has been the case fairly often for me of late, due to the fact that I essentially no longer watch trailers or read about pictures before I see them.

The picture has a very neat and surprisingly effective structure, as it is divided up into three acts highlighting the three characters. One is almost completely taken aback by the third act, which is certainly the most powerful.

What initially seems to be the most shallow, callous, and superficial character actually turns out to be the most interesting and fractured. All three characters are dominated by their emotions and hormones.

All three give standout performances and are surrounded by a quality cast to back them up. The intimate views into their inner worlds and thoughts truly led one to see how little one can see on the surface compared to the roiling mess underneath (at least in this instance).

I can't recall ever seeing a teen drama quite like it before. I don't think it can necessarily be replicated, but it was very compelling and engaging while it lasted. My main gripe with the picture, and this is not an uncommon one for me, is that the filmmakers weren't daring enough to end the film when they should have.

It would have been so much more potent and shocking, and worthy of a higher rating, if they had cut the five minute code at the end of the film. They should have ended on the black screen after the toilet vomiting scene, but instead they carry on to show us what these characters are like after their path-altering experience.