This starts off like it's going to be an anthology about what happens to three young women who made fun of a mentally challenged kid they went to elementary school with. The first episode, about a guy and his girlfriend being stalked by a driver on the highway is pretty cheesy and not very scary. You start thinking this is going to be a waste of time.
But the next story about another one of the girls and her creepy babysitting experience winds up being a lot stronger, and from there the anthology aspect ends and the story takes on a more straightforward narrative, with some flashback. The actress who plays Tabitha, Katheryn Winnick, is very good. She reminds me of a younger Jennifer Aniston. Jessica Lucas still can't seem to get past the eye candy factor that bogged down her performance even in "Cloverfield." That is, she is just so darn attractive it overpowers her only-mediocre acting skills. If you're gonna look this good, you gotta be a better actor than most to get people past your looks. She doesn't have the chops to pull this off yet. Still, she's a nice addition to the cast.
By the end, the movie becomes completely deranged and isolated and you're not sure just how far they're going to take it. But as someone in the forums commented, the ending is nicely buttoned up, with a realistic perspective given via voice over.
"Amusement" definitely has some weaknesses, like the fact the back story regarding the girls being this villain's tormentor as kids is not developed enough. The movie also starts to take on the look and feel of the "Saw," torture-via-ornate-mechanical-devises look toward the end, which actually detracts from its scariness.
But ultimately this one is worth a viewing. I suppose it could have been a theatrical release, but as straight-to-video it's at the top of that genre.
But the next story about another one of the girls and her creepy babysitting experience winds up being a lot stronger, and from there the anthology aspect ends and the story takes on a more straightforward narrative, with some flashback. The actress who plays Tabitha, Katheryn Winnick, is very good. She reminds me of a younger Jennifer Aniston. Jessica Lucas still can't seem to get past the eye candy factor that bogged down her performance even in "Cloverfield." That is, she is just so darn attractive it overpowers her only-mediocre acting skills. If you're gonna look this good, you gotta be a better actor than most to get people past your looks. She doesn't have the chops to pull this off yet. Still, she's a nice addition to the cast.
By the end, the movie becomes completely deranged and isolated and you're not sure just how far they're going to take it. But as someone in the forums commented, the ending is nicely buttoned up, with a realistic perspective given via voice over.
"Amusement" definitely has some weaknesses, like the fact the back story regarding the girls being this villain's tormentor as kids is not developed enough. The movie also starts to take on the look and feel of the "Saw," torture-via-ornate-mechanical-devises look toward the end, which actually detracts from its scariness.
But ultimately this one is worth a viewing. I suppose it could have been a theatrical release, but as straight-to-video it's at the top of that genre.