The Dead Don't Scream
Directed by Richard Perrin
3 Red Peppers Productions

The Dead Don't Scream could be described as a cross between the slasher genre and a Hostel like approach, It's an above average bloody film that has some typical elements but succeeds in the entertainment department. It's a nice change of pace to see a low budget horror film with a serious tone. There are some funny moments along the way but this is a serious film throughout.

At first the story seems a bit cliche. A group of college students travel to a lake and in the midst of their scantily clad fun, members of the group begin to be abducted. The entire group awakens in a dark room along with numerous other people. When the group escapes they start to learn more about their captors. There are some genuinely tension filled chases and the gore is well done but mainly limited to shotgun blasts and slit throats.

There are some twists along the way plot wise. One is a bit surprising but I'm sure you'll see the ending coming from a mile away. It is an effective ending, but it doesnt come as much of a surprise.

The acting is definitely of varying qualities. The main group is definitely solid, as are a few of the antagonists. The main villain, Uncle, falls a bit short in my opinion. The performance lacks the menacing edge that it needed. That said, the acting is overall quite solid. A few performances are not quite up to par, but it doesn't hurt the film I'd say.

For being low budget, this is a slick looking film. This is one of the cases where you can tell the director has a lot of potential in the future. The film is very cinematic and features some very cool camera angles. There are a few moments that don't quite work, like when they try an almost first person shooter like angle for one scene. But as a whole the movie is well put together and looks fantastic.

Despite a few shortcomings, The Dead Don't Scream is a well made an effective horror film. It has some cliche elements, but has a tense atmosphere and some excellent gore. The movie loses a bit of steam in the final act but picks up steam for the climax. If you enjoy slasher films or Hostel and Turistas you will undoubtedly enjoy this film.

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