Review of The Task (2011) by Todd S — 10 May 2013

From the companies that brough you Horrorfest, comes the Task, a unique story with a twist. I really liked how ambitious the Task was and just what lengths it went to in order to try and trick the audience.

It's unusal to find good writing or much of anything that isn't predictable in a film like this, and I really didn't expect it to be as entertaining as it was. This unique story begins with seven people being kidnapped and brought to a remote location to compete in a reality TV show, that combines Survivor, Fear Factor, and Ghost Hunters.

The game requires the contests to spend one night locked in an abandon prison, with a seedy reputation. The contests must complete the tasks that are put in front of them to win a large cash award. The contests were as different as can be leading to a fantastic dynamic between them, it's a shame they didn't build on that dynamic and show more interaction between characters, that only would have added to the story.

The cast, as usual, is mostly newcomers, but talented newcomers, who do an excellent job in making this story believable. A movie like the Task really comes down to the cast, because if they're not believable the movie ends up being only good for a few laughs.

The cast was good, the plot was great, but what really put the film over the top was it's terrific ending, which was very reminiscent of another Lionsgate classic, Saw. It's an ending you shouldn't see coming, but one that really brings the whole thing together.