‘BLUMHOUSE’S TRUTH OR DARE’ Review

Friday the 13th is upon us. The electric bill at Camp Crystal Lake is past due, so here comes Blumhouse to keep horror fans happy. But will their newest film be able to live up to Happy Death Day?

College Senior Olivia (Lucy Hale) will be volunteering with Habitat for Humanity for her Spring Break. But her bestie Markie (Violett Beane) has other plans. She’s planned an epic week of partying down in Mexico. On their last night, Olivia meets Carter (Landon Liboiron). After the bar closes Carter takes the group to a crumbling convent and suggests a game of Truth or Dare. After a couple of turns, Carter reveals he brought everyone there so he won’t have to play anymore. He warns Olivia that she and her friends have to tell the truth and do the dare. If they lie or refuse, they die. Everything seems normal until Olivia is confronted by people with strange faces asking Truth or Dare. Only after someone dies do they realize the game is real. But how long can this game go on?

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It has been too long since there’s been a good “dead teenager” movie in theaters. Unfortunately, Truth or Dare is too convoluted for its own good. The elevator pitch is Final Destination meets It Follows. Even without the gore and spectacular kills of the former franchise, what made the Final Destination series so fun was the Rube Goldberg setup of kills. Any suspense came from when and how characters died. There aren’t enough deaths and none are creative. And the sense of dread in It Follows is nowhere to be found. A reveal during the third act reminds the audience of another Blumhouse film that won’t be ruined here. The only interesting bent to the game is that whatever is controlling the game preys upon insecurities and long-held secrets. But unfortunately, this aspect is never fully utilized.

There hasn’t been a cast this unlikable since the Friday the 13th remake. Lucy Hale’s Final Girl has the moral high ground but that quickly deteriorates. Her vlog for volunteering comes off as tone deaf and shallow, like most vlogs. Her romance with one of the co-stars is literally forced by the game. Zero chemistry between two people harboring feelings. Best friend Markie walks out of the movie at least two times. Hayden Szeto, who is the most likable character in the cast, has his big moment off-screen. A character contemplates suicide when our Final Girl walks in. The heart to heart has zero impact on the audience. If a script can’t provide characters to care about then it better have some good deaths.Truth or Dare is lacking both.

This is the first production from Jason Blum to put the Blumhouse name in front of the title. Considering how much the studio made in 2017 alone it is earned. They have cultivated a brand synonymous with quality. But hanging that hat on this title is a misstep. Less than a year this will be forgotten.