Dread/The Final

110. Dread
111. The Final


Dread is an entrant in the 2010 After Dark Horrorfest. This is the 4th year that After Dark Films unleashes their 8 Films to Die For upon the world. Typically, they've got a one week stretch in theaters before coming to video a couple of months later. After Dark acquires these films from independent sources rather than producing them themselves so the movies have been pretty hit or miss through the years. How will this year's entrants fare?

Dread tells the story of some a college student and his friends who decide to do a study on what scares people. They film people discussing what they're afraid of and intend to use the film for the student's thesis. The problem is, one of the student's friends fears might be getting to him a bit. You see, when he was a kid, he saw his mother and father murdered by an axe-wielding madman. He's kept his anxieties in check with the help of medication. What happens when he decides to go off his meds?

I didn't know much about this one going in. All I knew is that it's based on a short story by Clive Barker. The synopsis on the back cover made it sound as if it would be a slasher flick with heavy psychological undertones. As it turns out, the slasher element isn't really pronounced at all. Instead, this is a dark, psychological movie. The story is interesting. In terms of pacing, it starts off pretty slow, taking the better part of an hour to really get going. It works here though, as it manages to increase the tension and build up a solid sense of dread. Pun fully intended. The cast here is led by Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Evans and Hanne Steen. All three turn in solid performances particularly Rathbone. He's currently featured in the Twilight movies so this is a chance to see him do something that doesn't require him to be sparkly.

Dread is not your standard horror flick. It's pretty damn good. I recommend it.


The Final is my second Horrorfest flick on the year.

This one tells the story of a group of bullied high school students who turn the tables on the bullies. They don't go postal on them though. Instead, they go Saw on them.

This flick is a cross between Revenge of the Nerds and the Saw series. The story is alright...nothing all that special. The cast is comprised of unknowns. Honestly, this is one of those movies that I liked but just have nothing much to say about it. The plot summary really says it all. No great explanations are required after that. Do I think it's worth watching? Sure. I liked it. If you're not a fan of the whole "torture" thing, you might not want to check it out.