Horrific Potential Unveiled With a Swing and Miss

Read Time:3 Minute, 46 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Price We Pay
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Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 26m
Director(s): Ryûhei Kitamura
Writer(s): Christopher Jolley (written by,) Ryûhei Kitamura (story by)
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Gigi Zumbado, Tyler Sanders, Erika Ervin, Jesse Kinser, Sabina Mach, Vernon Wells, Tanner Zagarino, Eleanor Burke
Where To Watch: on UK digital October 16, 2023

RAVING REVIEW: A secluded farmhouse, a mix of common criminals, and a foreboding force of unparalleled evil, all entwined in a narrative that plummets the viewer into the abyss of horror. THE PRICE WE PAY orchestrates this sinister aura with an undeniable zest, aiming to meld mystery, crime, and the supernatural into a cinematic experience.

THE PRICE WE PAY might be akin to a ghost ship, one that embarks with the lure of hidden treasure, navigated by the seasoned Ryûhei Kitamura and crewed by notable names like Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff, only to sail into an eerie mist of missed marks and shrouded shortcomings. A tale of crime takes a twisted turn as the supernatural shrouds Alex, Cody, and their unintentional captive, Grace, in a cloaking dread that echoes potential yet ultimately parades a series of hauntingly disconnected spectacles.

Imagine a film that attempts to be a ghoulish guide, leading its audience through a chilling landscape of malignancy, yet finds itself trapped by its ambitious endeavors to shatter the shackles of typical horror. A tale that hints at gruesome reveals and dark confrontations while attempting to articulate a compelling narrative finds itself engulfed in a fog of contradiction and fragmented storytelling. The consistent apprehension we yearn for as viewers end up diluted amid the scattered scenes and a nebulous narrative evolution.

Here's where things take a perplexing turn in THE PRICE WE PAY, with its quest to marry gore with psychological drama, sporadically grasping at the viewer's attention and curiosity but often slipping into the murky waters of tedium. Hirsch and Dorff, typically magnetic and capable of conjuring deeply evocative performances, wrestle with a script that leaves them seemingly adrift amidst chaotic specters, unable to inject the tale with palpable emotional depth or humanity.

Embarking on a journey with THE PRICE WE PAY, while shadowed by atmospheric tension and clashing malevolences, should have been a terrifyingly delightful affair. However, the characters, especially those portrayed by our seasoned actors, wander through the unfolding chaos, never quite anchoring the story with authentic emotional resonance or relatable connection to the viewer.

When it tiptoes into excessive gore, the film stumbles onto a weird path: it tries to shock its viewers into emotional engagement, side-stepping the chance to craft an atmosphere that subtly simmers with anticipatory dread organically. The possible psychological richness of the characters is submerged beneath a cascade of visceral visuals, denying the audience a nuanced exploration that could have rescued the film from becoming trapped in generic horror tropes. I will give credit where credit is due, the gore in the film was remarkable, but without something to connect the pieces, it can’t hold itself together.

With its promising outset and core concept brimming with haunting possibilities, the PRICE WE PAY veers into territories where narrative missteps and fragmented character arcs obscure its intrinsic potential. Despite boasting a laudable cast and a concept saturated with eerie potential, the film ultimately resides in a realm overshadowed by its narrative misdirection and character representation, nestling it amongst cinematic ventures that murmur of what might have been.

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[photo courtesy of 101 FILMS]

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