This is a light psychological thriller about a couple who crash a party and spend the evening.manipulating their hosts to some nefarious end. What carries the film is largely the acting -- as anybody with half a brain or a modicum of social experience would spot the gaslighting and manipulation from a mile away. There are simply a TON of "coincidences" in the dialogue that would make anybody suspicious. Some of the coincidences had me thinking that the party guests scouted out or researched their hosts ahead of time, but this doesn't quite gel up with the explanation given towards the end of the film. Chalk the inconsistencies up to lazy writing, I suppose.
The "B" portion of the plot involving the other pair of friends was pretty well useless, and I'm not even sure what narrative purpose it was supposed to serve other than to simply break up the "A" part of the plot. I'd argue that it was the weakest part of the film.
Other random thoughts: I think Timothy Granaderos has got a pretty strong Elijah Wood vibe going in this film -- kind of a weird off-kilter feeling, something that comes across as an intensity just barely cloaked in a veneer of casualness. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing kind of thing. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, but it worked for me.
Overall, I'd say this is a pass for hardcore horror fans, but if you like lighter fare, you might be the target audience. A little thin on content but not bad in execution.
The "B" portion of the plot involving the other pair of friends was pretty well useless, and I'm not even sure what narrative purpose it was supposed to serve other than to simply break up the "A" part of the plot. I'd argue that it was the weakest part of the film.
Other random thoughts: I think Timothy Granaderos has got a pretty strong Elijah Wood vibe going in this film -- kind of a weird off-kilter feeling, something that comes across as an intensity just barely cloaked in a veneer of casualness. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing kind of thing. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, but it worked for me.
Overall, I'd say this is a pass for hardcore horror fans, but if you like lighter fare, you might be the target audience. A little thin on content but not bad in execution.