[yasr_overall_rating]
A harmless game of Truth or Dare among friends turns deadly when someone – or something – begins to punish those who tell a lie or refuse the dare.
Blumhouse has been pumping out a lot of horror movies over recent years. Last year they produced the excellent racially conscious Hitchcockian thriller “Get Out.” They’ve also produced the “Insidious,” “Annabelle,” and “The Conjuring” franchises. While I enjoyed the first “Insidious,” all the franchises rely on haunted ride jump scare tactics. Another omnipotent plot device is a demonic incarnate plaguing the protagonists. “Truth or Dare” continues on this path.
I like the premise, almost universally the game Truth or Dare has been played or recognized. The characters are a diverse group of friends heading on their last spring break to Mexico (ominous?) The audience is shown the change in geography way too many times with a recurring image of the same border sign. The opening is cleverly done with Snapchat stories showing the characters’ perspectives and being with the current social story sharing times. After meeting a young handsome stranger, the group becomes unwilling participants in a game of life or death. This scene and much of the movie felt like a blatant rip off of the superior “It Follows.”
The character development and dialogue leave much to be desired. Lines like, “It’s like a scary Snapchat filter,” made me roll my eyes. While there were some thrilling moments, most of the screenplay was as predictable as Los Angeles weather. I love horror movies but I really hope Blumhouse stops with the all-too-convenient demonic plot device, that is lazy and not scary. I dare you to go see a better, scarier movie.
In theaters Friday, April 13th
