Finally, Roth gives us something of value: even with its flaws, this film entertains its audience and works nicely.
Many years ago, a film came out where a pair of young seductresses managed to sneak into the home of a middle-aged rich man, seduce him and torment him: “Death Game” is one of those films that almost no one will remember now. I haven't seen it yet, but having seen this modern remake, I'm curious to see the older film.
Eli Roth gives us a very simple film. What I said above fits this film perfectly: Evan Webber is a conventional husband and family man who makes the mistake of giving shelter to two really attractive girls who, after a shower and clean clothes, decide to repay him with a night of adulterous and totally sinful sex. However, what seemed like an erotic dream come true turns into a nightmare when they begin to terrorize Evan.
This is not a brilliant, surprising film, it will never join a pantheon of great films, whatever genre or subgenre it may be, but it works and gives us what it promises: a sense of menace and pleasant tension, entertainment and a decent story. Of course, there are problems. For example, how would those girls know so much about Evan and his family without having spent a good deal of time spying on him? They showed, at various times, that he had not been chosen at random and that there was an intention in what they were doing with him. This is weird because the movie wants to explain it, but it doesn't do it very well. Personally, I think it would have been better if the film didn't exploit their intentions and just played with all the information they could get from Evan on that short night visit.
Be that as it may, this is, as far as I've seen, Eli Roth's best film to date: "Cabin Fever" was a decent effort, but very campy, and "Hostel" turned out to be simply unpalatable in its ambition to imitate the worst of “Saw”. Roth seems to have finally learned that what scares us most is what is beyond our sight or foresight. Liters of fake blood and human bodies being hacked to pieces only serve to ruin the theater popcorn vendor's business.
Keany Reeves is the film's big star and the highest rated, and perhaps highest paid, actor here. He did a good job, with a character that, in other hands, could have been more limited, one-dimensional or sketchy. Over time, Reeves gives us a simple, down-to-earth, credibly authentic man, someone we can like. Someone who makes mistakes, but who still elicits sympathy by being punished far more severely than could be justified. Reeves never lets the character be just a puppet. However, the film is entirely dominated by female performances: slender and dangerous, Lorenza Izzo – the director's wife – and Cuban newcomer Ana de Armas deserve our full attention.
Technically, it is a film that stands out for its simplicity: everything takes place in a unique environment, and the scenery and costumes are reduced to the simplest, but effective and functional. Cinematography does not bring surprises or innovations, it bets on conventional formats and solutions and on pragmatism. The soundtrack isn't especially notable either.