(Happy Anniversary, Carolyn!!!)

movie coverI'd rather be watching TV![IMDB link] [Netflix link] I was originally going to review this with a haiku and nothing else:

A decent thriller.
Bitches acting like bitches.
Karma visits them.

…But the movie is actually a bit deeper than that.
(It also didn’t hurt to watch it in 720p HD!)

PEOPLE: Nobody… except Jon Bon Jovi! Yes, Bon Jovi plays a teacher! This caught me by surprise. He must really be living on a prayer.

QUIRKS: An underscore in the title? Really? I see now that they were conveying that this is a modern, post-internet story. Which it is. A murder happens, followed by a chain email capitalizing on it. But then worse things ensue.

But the biggest quirk of all? WEREWOLF!! Several scenes in this movie are devoted to playing Werewolf in large groups. This is a game me and my friends have played on many occasions, when we meet the 8 person quorum required to play our particular variant. Seeing this in a movie was AMAZING!!

BAD STUFF: Surprisingly, this was a “smart” thriller. Not a slasher. Not an excuse for boobies (DAMMIT!). But an actually story, with a TWIST AT THE END that strongly reminds me of the feeling of watching “Wild Things”.

Remember how at the end of Wild Things, the credits reveals alliances and associations that completely change the motivations for almost every character in the movie? The ending of this isn’t quite as masterful as that, but — things throughout the movie most certainly were not what they seemed. [highlight for spoilers]→ The ending reminds me of Shrooms, but with much more premeditation on the killer’s part.

CONCLUSION: This is actually a decent thriller. Expecting nothing more than a generic night’s entertainment with a suitable movie, this actually exceeded our expectations. It still only got 3 stars on my netflix, but I gave it a 7 on IMDB instead of a 6. And if I was rating for horrors/thrillers alone, I’d rate it an 8.

RECOMMENDATION: Why not? It’s got Bon Jovi, chain emails, schoolgirls, and the game of werewolf!

MOVIE QUOTE: “Avoid suspicion, manipulate your friends, and eliminate your enemies.”

Mood: anxious
Music: Sisters Of Mercy – Body And Soul (live)