The Task (2011)

Sick Product of a Sick System

Powerful

In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

From the companies that borough you Horrorfest, comes the Task, a unique story with a twist. I really liked how ambitious the Task was and just what lengths it went to in order to try and trick the audience. It's unusual to find good writing or much of anything that isn't predictable in a film like this, and I really didn't expect it to be as entertaining as it was. This unique story begins with seven people being kidnapped and brought to a remote location to compete in a reality TV show, that combines Survivor, Fear Factor, and Ghost Hunters. The game requires the contests to spend one night locked in an abandon prison, with a seedy reputation. The contests must complete the tasks that are put in front of them to win a large cash award. The contests were as different as can be leading to a fantastic dynamic between them, it's a shame they didn't build on that dynamic and show more interaction between characters, that only would have added to the story. The cast, as usual, is mostly newcomers, but talented newcomers, who do an excellent job in making this story believable. A movie like the Task really comes down to the cast, because if they're not believable the movie ends up being only good for a few laughs. The cast was good, the plot was great, but what really put the film over the top was it's terrific ending, which was very reminiscent of another Lionsgate classic, Saw. It's an ending you shouldn't see coming, but one that really brings the whole thing together.

When a group of reality show contestants arrive to participate in a horror reality show at an abandoned prison, a series of gruesome accidents has them believing that the site's resident ghosts might be the ones responsible and not the show's fear-based antics.This one here manages to become somewhat watchable as there are several really good points on display. As is usually necessary in such situations, the film's best elements are found with the atmosphere and location which are just incredible, giving off such a foreboding sense of suspense and creepiness that by doing nothing, it still gives off a rather tense vibe, especially when it starts with the guidelines of the show being filmed. The opening walk-through here is perfect for that as the utterly dark hall-ways hearing only the sounds of their footsteps echoing off the walls that sets up the big chase through the facility with the howling dog sounds which set this off really nicely, while the rest of the big suspense comes from the cleaver and admittedly chilling show premise. Several of them are rather freaky and definitely enjoyable, especially the first one in the chapel as the activity required here to raise the spirit inside the utter darkness is truly chilling, the later player being forced into the tank of sludge that signals the first of the ghostly activities and the team trapped in the gas chamber are incredibly fun scenes that utilize the prison's layout effectively while being extra creepy for how they're woven into the game, and the biggest part here is the finale where he's finally been uncovered and allowed to really focus on the ghostly figure running loose interfering with the show as these are really fun moments. The last plus here is the concept of the show and how it deals with fear, since it tends to skip over some when it comes to going wrong so that there's a lot of anticipation as to when it'll go sour, which is a great feeling and keeps it interesting. These here make it good enough to hold out its flaws, which aren't bad but are noticeable. The biggest factor here is the last half, which is where the film gets a little off-track since it tends to pile on twist after twist in attempt to try something new, but gets way too overblown thinking there's a rather big reveal to its twists. That leads into the other problem, as it may start off as being somewhat clichéd and rather familiar being a haunted prison film with still-alive ghosts haunting it, which is rather uninspired and not all that original. While it's still really enjoyable these flaws do stick out enough to hold it down.Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

The premise shows promise. Take a very spooky place where a bunch of game show participants choose to spend the night for major cash prizes, make a creepy TV reality show of it, and then introduce a couple of plot twists just when you are collecting your things together ready to leave. Had any single one of these things been done well then the others would not have mattered, but, regrettably, the whole film is poor.It is not spooky, it is not scary, it is not even well done, and in places it is just plain silly. There are continuity problems, poor script, poor editing, and just poor acting, aside from the opening five minutes where there is at least some energy and verve. But once we are into that time when you just want it to lift off the film reveals that you have already seen the best it has to offer. And you hope that whatever twists there are to come they'll be signposted somewhere if you watch carefully. Unfortunately for this film its twists try to redeem a dying film when the kindest thing would have been to put it out of its misery.

'THE TASK': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five) An 'After Dark Original' about a reality TV show staged at a prison with a dark past where six students must survive the night accomplishing random spooky tasks. The film stars a group of mostly unknown attractive young wannabe stars, playing mostly attractive young wannabe stars (or at least the want to be rich). It was written by Kenny Yakkel and directed by first time director Alex Orwell. This one has slightly higher productions values than most of the other 2011 'After Dark Original' entries and is some what amusing but there's definitely nothing too special or memorable here.The story begins with six students being kidnapped off the streets, stuffed in a van and driven to a prison out in the middle of nowhere. Once released from the van they're handcuffed together and told they've been chosen to participate in a reality TV show filmed at the prison behind them. They have the option of participating and winning $20,000 by surviving the night in the prison or leaving in a taxi that we'll drive them home. The catch is that the prison used to be the home of an insane warden that butchered a bunch of inmates there several years ago and is believed to be haunted by his ghost. The students must then take part in terrifying tasks assigned to them by the TV show while mysterious things continue to happen all around them, it's just never quite clear whether it's part of the show or something else.The movie is stylishly shot and edited and like I said the actors all look good and so does the scenery. The problem is that the movie is never really that spooky, until the end but it takes way too long to get there. For too long were kept in the dark on what is really happening and the characters never really seem like they're in that much danger. Horror fans do get what they want and expect closer to the end but by then it's just a little too little too late. Still it's not nearly as atrocious as the other 'After Dark' films I've watched recently. For 2011 I'd place it right in the middle of the bunch; it's an average horror film that gives us something but nothing worth getting too excited about.Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhQaTxuL7SQ