Cheap Thrills (2013)

If you like shock value in your movies, then look no further than "Cheap Thrills". I must say I haven't cringed in a movie for quite some time, but this film had me writhing in disgust on multiple occasions. But you know what? I loved it. "Cheap Thrills" has everything you could want in a gritty, grotesque thriller, with some extremely dark comedic undertones to boot. Supported by some very convincing acting and writing, this movie certainly delivered a unique viewing experience.

The premise of "Cheap Thrills" is rather relatable; A mid 20s man struggles to pay the bills for his wife and young son, and finds himself facing eviction from his apartment. After then losing his job, he seeks an out at a local bar where he reunites with an old friend from high school. Here, the two old friends meet a rather precarious couple who seemingly like to party hard. The couple puts the two friends up to some friendly dares for big money, with each dare pushing the boundaries that the men are willing to endure. Soon things aren't so friendly anymore, and the two friends find themselves in an all out war to compete for the couple's money. The reason I found "Cheap Thrills" so relatable is simple; the right amount of money can sway even the most reasonable people to do the most unthinkable things. People are capable of doing unbelievable things when faced with survival, and "Cheap Thrills" captures that essence perfectly. This movie is a dark, twisted take on the human condition, and what we as people deem important in society.

The writing in "Cheap Thrills" is solid, but what really made it come to life was the acting. I've seen Pat Healy in a few previous works(Magnolia, Rescue Dawn), but I will always remember him for this film. Watching his character, Craig, progress through the movie is quite incredible, as you see a seemingly normal and level headed man consistently test his personal boundaries to ensure his family's wellbeing. Ethan Embry, whom I had not heard of prior to seeing this, also delivers a very impressive performance as Craig's friend from high school, Vince. It's obvious Vince has lived a rough life since his high school days, and Embry does a magnificent job portraying those nuances. David Koechner, whom i've mostly seen working in comedy, is solid as the wealthy party man, and showed me that he has some range in this film. Sara Paxton's character, Violet, is pretty forgettable, which seemed by design. She has very few lines and seems to serve mostly as sex appeal. Overall, however, the acting is very good throughout, as it needs to be in my opinion to make such a crazy story seem plausible.

"Cheap Thrills" is one of the most unique movies i've seen in a while, and managed to capture the despair and greed that people endure in life perfectly. While shocking, and sometimes grotesque, "Cheap Thrills" is also very approachable and relatable. The characters in this movie seem very human, and I think many who watch this will find themselves connected to these people in some way despite how twisted the subject material can be. At it's core, "Cheap Thrills" is about the everyday man, and what he is willing to do for the right amount of money. With one of the most shocking finishes i've seen in a while, this movie will also have you thinking well after it's conclusion. I wouldn't recommend this to those who have a weak stomach or don't enjoy taboo material. This

Fmovies: I have to admit I didn't feel attracted either by the poster or the plot summary. Yet the experience was thrilling and full of surprises: the acting of the four protagonists is excellent and I enjoyed it all the way. Also, although the genre of psychological thriller is not my cup of tea, the director did a great job creating a disturbing atmosphere sustained by a very good script, good dialogues and deep human characters. The first work of Katz as a director is, in my opinion,a successful debut: the movie is filmed with great sensibility and the art in general is perfectly in tone with what we feel from the very beginning.

Highly recommendable, no doubt.

Cheap Thrills has the type of concept which could easily live up to its title. Two rich sickos torturing a couple of poor strangers by daring them to do progressively twisted tasks could result in an exploitative B-movie designed to shock the audience for the sake of it. Thankfully, Cheap Thrills manages to offer much more than a few cheap thrills. It's actually an intelligent, engaging and darkly humorous little film with a few hints of postmodernism not too dissimilar to Funny Games.

Pat Healy and Sara Paxton made a terrifically witty duo in Ti West's limp, The Innkeepers and deserved to appear in a much better film. Cheap Thrills is that better film, and whilst Sara doesn't have particularly much to do, Pat puts on a similarly likable performance as the down on his luck protagonist, who we can all relate to. In fact, all of the characters manage to be engaging and interesting. I love how realistically the film progressed from a friendly encounter on a night out to a sick set of dares.

For a film largely set in one location with just four characters, it's never boring. Quite the opposite, in fact I was left wanting more and I think it could've pushed the boundaries more, but that's probably just my twisted horror nut coming out! Where the film actually succeeds is that it doesn't make the dares the focus of the entire film. Instead it's much more concerned with the characters and how they develop, thus making for a much better quality and more involving piece of filmmaking.

The comment it makes on society is quite heavy-handed but nevertheless an intelligent and relevant one. It's best to view the two rich psychos as symbols, rather than characters. They're obviously representative of the bourgeoisie and how they exploit the poor minority. However, the film also makes a subtle comment on the psychotic nature of audiences too. I thought that the ending kind of made out like the psychos were doing it all for us, the viewing public, thus adding another intelligent and postmodern layer to the film.

Overall the film is a striking debut and this E.L Katz bloke looks like he has a promising future in the horror movie industry. His directing was consistently intense and he managed to build some massive amounts of tension. Cheap Thrills may falter on repeated viewings (due to the lack of a surprise factor) but for a first time viewing there's very little to complain about. Perhaps it could've been a little more twisted, but really I was surprised by how intelligent the screenplay actually was. Cheap Thrills offers a lot more than its title suggests. It's probably one of the best horror-comedies we've had in a while.

Cheap Thrills fmovies. Pat Healey of The Innkeepers fame plays a family man and blue collar worker who receives an eviction notice and is laid off on the same day. On the way home, he runs into an old friend at a bar, and the two of them run into an eccentric rich couple played by David Koechner and Sara Paxton (again of The Innkeepers) who propose a twisted series of games for money at their private residence.

To compete against each other for large rewards, Craig and Vince engage in more and more disturbing acts of depravity, self-mutilation and moral bankruptcy.

This is a shocker, and a hard-to-watch one at that. What keeps it bearable is that it's a very FUNNY shocker, particularly with Koechner providing most of the black comedy.

Ultimately this is an allegorical haves-and-have-nots tale that looks at the lengths people will go to in the name of financial desperation. The climax is disturbing and had me doing some sharp self-reflection. Not bad for a first-time director and a tiny budget.

Saw this at SXSW and I must admit it was very well done. This won the Audience Award for the Midnighters at the festival and it is wholeheartedly deserved. The film is a hybrid genre film with a constantly shifting tone of hilarity, drama, thrills, and extremely dark themes.

The story follows everyman Craig (Pat Healy, who should finally get some deserved recognition for his extremely demanding role in this) who is down on his luck after having a really bad day. He hits the local bar on the way home from work and sees an old high school buddy (Ethan Embry, in an against-type role that completely works) and the two meet up with a strange couple that wants to have a drink with them (David Koechner and Sara Paxton, who are both deliciously hilarious and mysterious). The four then have what can only be described as a truly horrific night and that is all I really want to say about it because the less you know the better. The concept of the film is laid out easily and quickly, which is developed fully throughout the film as the stakes are raised higher and higher with every passing minute.

I must say that I was very happy to see the movie take so many risks. The content of the film is definitely not for the faint at heart, but if you like envelope-pushing pieces than this is the film for you. Im sure this will divide audiences, but the theater I was in had a great energy and made the film really fun to watch. The director EL Katz introduced the film and told the audience that "it is okay to laugh." After seeing the film, I understand why he said that. There are so many uncomfortable, cringe-inducing moments in the film that the only thing to do is either to curl up in the fetal position or laugh your head off. I had no clue where it was going and the final image in the film will go down as a classic final shot. It is perfection.

People will be definitely talking about this one. It is highly entertaining, the performances are excellent, the writing is tight, and the content of the film is entirely original and unpredictable. I actually saw it twice during SXSW and it was even better a second time. Tons of twists and turns, so please DO NOT spoil it for yourself. Go into it with little knowledge and enjoy the twisted mayhem.

I haven't felt this bad at the end of a movie since REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. This film, from E.L. Katz, is the ultimate feel-bad movie of the year. Believe it or not, I mean this all as praise. CHEAP THRILLS is a movie that drives its point home like a nail to the head. It's a dark comedy, emphasis on the dark, that aims to sensationalize the perceived apathy of the upper class to the suffering of the lower class, going so far as to take perverse joy in it. I never recall laughing over the course of the movie, but there were a few chuckles scattered amongst the groans and cringes. It opens on the worst day of Craig Daniels' (Pat Healy) unfortunate life. He wakes to an eviction notice posted to the door of the apartment where he lives with his wife and baby, and he's fired from his menial job at an auto shop later that afternoon. While he's drinking his problems away at a seedy bar later that night, he's reunited with an old friend, Vince (Ethan Embry) who earns a living rough housing gamblers to collect on debts. The night shifts in an interesting direction when they meet Colin (David Koechner) and his wife Violet (Sara Paxton), out on the town to celebrate Violet's birthday with some harmless. Colin and Violet enjoy betting each other on the pettiest of prospects (i.e. how a bar patron chooses to ogle the bartender), and they see an opportunity to have some fun with Craig and Vince. It starts simpleÂ…who can drink their shot of tequila the fastest or who's willing to slap a stripper on the buttÂ… but, as the night goes on, the game grows more sinister.

CHEAP THRILLS wears its message on its sleeve. It's a frightening glimpse at the power of money and the lengths some will go to get it, but it's also a statement on what passes for entertainment now. The first point is the most blatant, as it's basically the premise of the movie. Colin and Violet are filthy rich. We don't know how he acquired his money; we just know he's got $250,000 chilling in an unlocked safe in his office for the sole purpose of blowing on his wife's birthday. Money is nothing to these people. But for the common man (in this instance, Craig and Vince), money is everything. Craig has a family to look out for and every cent earned goes toward securing their future. Vince is a thug who'd made some poor choices and sees a chance at a better life. At first it's all a game, but then it all goes south and the greed takes hold. Meanwhile, Colin cheers them on like a man watching the latest UFC fight at the local bar and VioletÂ…wellÂ…Violet's chilling. She says very little over the course of the night but it quickly becomes apparent that there's something disturbing under her gorgeous visage. She's calm and collected, often seeming disinterested in the events unfolding around her. Again, it's all a game to these two and Violet shows a chilling disconnect from Craig and Vince's pain.

But, really, the audience isn't much better. The premise of CHEAP THRILLS reminds me a lot of modern culture's obsession with reality television. Average people are paraded about and put into often uncomfortable situations with the promise of potentially walking away with a nice chunk of change. People have no problem going on national television for the amusement of others to chow on bull testicles or knock themselves around in some bizarre obstacle course for the chance at wealth. Well, it's no different than what Craig and Vince endure in CHEAP THRILLS. Colin and Violet aren't an