Review of Stay Alive (2006) by Socket84 — 13 Sep 2021

This Is One Tense, Creepy, Atmospheric Gaming Movie. It's Like Brainscan Meets Silent Hill Coming Together In A Very Enjoyable (And Creepy) Way!

I am a fan of horror. In these later years, there has been a proliferation of bad horror movies on the market. Most begin with four or five kids, heading to a remote location for a weekend, they are stalked by whatever antagonist, and all die but one or two of them. Voilas, there is the rote formula for nearly all your B-class horrors of the last two decades.

This one starts out with six or so kids, and therefore, I was expecting nothing whatsoever in the way of innovation or fun. I thought I would be writing a different kind of review than the one I am currently writing.

While the premise used in Stay Alive is nothing new, it feels a bit like the original Saw in its atmosphere, without plodding. It feels a lot like Brainscan in its realism, without coming off campy. But more importantly, it feels quite a bit like Silent Hill in its atmosphere, without leading us into the pseudo-religious, dogma-filled prattlings.

In essence? This was one creepy little film, if you can allow yourself to become involved in the story, that is. But you must suspend disbelief in order to let yourself be drawn into most any cinematic work.

Above the atmosphere, which is the real star of the work, the story itself is quite compelling. Beyond the premise, which HAS been done before, the plot itself is pretty fresh, and goes a long way towards preventing this work from feeling rehashed, recycled, or otherwise done and done.

I have to say that I enjoy this venture to the fullest. It has some VERY tense moments, features some great (although wholly goreless and pretty much bloodless) kills, and delivers a fine execution of the concept.