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Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 11 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

  • Starring: Brittany Snow, Charlie Hofheimer, Enver Gjokaj, Jeffrey Combs, John Heard, Jonathan Coyne, June Squibb, Larry Gilliard Jr., Logan Miller, Sasha Grey
  • Summary: What would you do if a millionaire offered you a chance to solve all your life’s problems? After the tragic death of her parents, Iris (Brittany Snow) is desperate to make ends meet while caring for her terminally ill younger brother. When a seemingly philanthropic aristocrat invites her toto an exclusive dinner party that offers the chance at untold riches, she arrives to find herself in a group of similarly desperate individuals and forced to play a sadistic game of Would You Rather, where only the winner will get out alive. As the game progress Iris must decide how far she will go to save her brother… and herself. [IFC Films] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 11
  2. Negative: 6 out of 11
  1. Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    Feb 6, 2013
    70
    You'll never play the titular parlor game again after watching Would You Rather, director David Guy Levy’s clever exercise in torture porn that manages to display as much restraint as genuine sickness.
  2. Reviewed by: Rex Reed
    Feb 6, 2013
    50
    It reminded me of everything from "Ten Little Indians" to a low-budget take on Neil Simon’s "Murder by Death" without the laughs. It’s diverting for people who love games, but not for the squeamish.
  3. Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    Feb 6, 2013
    25
    Would You Rather has one major asset in an appropriately gothic, larger-than-life performance by Jeffrey Combs, the great, chameleon-like character actor best known for playing a mad scientist in "Re-Animator."
  4. Reviewed by: Steve Macfarlane
    Feb 7, 2013
    25
    A shrill Indiewood torture porn that, despite promised shocks and revulsions, doesn't even have the conviction to hold its camera on the story's most appalling twists.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. i've got to say, i've been hearing plenty of praise for this film, (in the horror circuit, of course), so, coupled with the surprisingly original premise, i was eager to see it... and... well... DAAAAAAAAYUM... this movie is superb. for starters, the acting, especially from jeffrey combs, is great, combs is both unnerving and interesting in equal measure as your otherwise standard crazy millionaire, brittany snow is a good lead, a monumental step up from prom night, sasha grey is good as amy, and whoever played lucas, (his name sounds russian), did a great job.

    and then, there's the fact that this film is SCARY, it is SUSPENSEFUL, there are very few jump scares, and they're mercifully not accompanied by an ear-piercing boost of volume, the suspense also has a good payoff as the things they end up doing are disturbing to watch, and right after it's over, the suspense comes rushing back, the violence is actually handled in a rather tasteful manner, it's not gratuitous, and yet the film manages to maintain it's shock value consistently.

    the way the film looks is also highly commendable, it is shot very well, the mansion looks amazing, (danny boyle could take a few notes), apparently, david guy levy's first film was terrible, if so, this is an incredible change for the better from this director, the script is also very well-written, it's admirably paced, tasteful, the dialogue fluctuates sometimes, but otherwise, it's well-written and incredibly well-directed.

    i seriously can't believe how underrated this film is, it's like ghost rider: spirit of vengeance all over again, if this is bad, and paranormal activity was good, then i will wear my lack of taste like a badge of honor.
    Expand
  2. epic
  3. Low budget movie but with a very creative concept. You kinda knew what was gonna happen by the middle of it but this twist on saw (little bit) was fun to see. Its a good movie to watch from red box if one has some time Expand
  4. 1
    The premise of "Would You Rather" is superb; my praise, however, ends there. This movie is simply unpleasant to watch. The acting is, for the most part, sub-par; Snow, in particular, comes off very amateurish at times. From start to finish, the movie pushes the viewer away. The entire film is tense, cold, and hopeless, so, when the thrills come, and there are plenty (one of the few areas in which the movie did its job), they feel like little prods to the stomach while one is already experiencing bad indigestion. All the plot twists, and here I use the term lightly, are completely predictable. Movies like this are powerful because they let the viewer get close, even comfortable, and then pull the proverbial rug; "Would You Rather" lets all its nastiness hang out from the very moment the game begins. Movies like this also derive power from the close and complex relationships between their characters and their viewers; in "Would You Rather," every time a character dies, it just feels like some awful statistic. This film is very unapproachable; even film franchises like Saw and Hostel are more approachable than this film. "Would You Rather" left a bad taste in my mouth, and, yes, I would rather have not watched it. Expand

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