Review of Truth or Dare (2018) by Joseph D — 12 Apr 2018

We've had movies based off of video games. We've had movies based off of board games. Now, we're moving into the realm of frat house party games....this is the world we live in, people.

TRUTH OR DARE?

At a little over one & a half hours, this film delivers a surprisingly tight story; a beginning, a middle, a bit of backstory, & an end, without too much needless filler. The plot flowed in a way that allowed the viewer to piece together certain elements & answer questions that might've come up as you were watching, & it ended in classic fright flick fashion. Also, in classic modern fashion, there were a few jump-scares, but they subverted my expectations & actually caught me off guard, & they were bolstered by real moments of suspense.

The cast was a classic cadre of slasher victims, but unlike those who came before them, they were allowed to evolve a bit from the usual fodder, to actual believable people you could encounter, they had problems you couldn't fix in 30 to 60 minuets; they felt a little more human than Freddy or Jason's prey, it was refreshing.

The effects were very minimal, the CGI used to distort the "villain" was very well blended, so it almost looked like practical makeup. There was one CG location that looked less than stellar, but the multiple practical sets & locations made up for it. There was practically no gore, which actually made it feel more visceral for me. I wasn't desensitized by the imagery, & the sounds & character reactions helped to sell what I was seeing.

There was hardly any music, & what was there was so subtle, I was able to enjoy the suspense without the music overshadowing things.

Overall, I'd call Truth or Dare a tame but decent suspense flick, & a good way to introduce folks to horror without overwhelming them. I give it 3 stars outta 5. Now...this just leaves us with one question...

#TruthOrDare?