Film reviews: Stay Alive
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What's the story?
A group of gaming enthusiasts must attempt to figure out why their friends are being killed in identical fashion to the way they meet their demise in an online game. The game is linked to a character called The Blood Countess, the name given to 17th Century noblewoman Elizabeth Bathory, a mass murderer of children who appears to have returned in virtual form to begin a new reign of terror.
What we say
It may be called Stay Alive but horror fans will probably have more trouble staying awake during this inept chiller that borrows heavily from The Ring without any of its style or substance. Directed and co-written by William Brent Bell, the film follows the misfortunes of a group of computer game nerds who seem to go out of their way to behave stupidly and get themselves killed. None of the characters learn from each other's mistakes, while all appear never to have seen a horror film or played a horror game - given their consistent ability to get themselves into perilous situations. What little amusement there is to be found in seeing how they meet their demise is quickly replaced by anger and frustration at the director's inability to shock or deliver a memorable set piece.
Indeed, the special effects are so poor that they even pale by comparison to the worst games on the market with the The Blood Countess herself emerging as a pale imitation of countless online adversaries. The gamers are a mostly unknown bunch led by Jon Foster's Hutch O'Neill and include Frankie (Agent Cody Banks) Muniz and Adam (Saving Private Ryan) Goldberg - but given their complete lack of sense, they fail to generate any sympathy whatsoever. Jon, in particular, seems to be more concerned with snogging his girlfriend, played by Samaire Armstrong, rather than actually dealing with the impending threat (witness their clinch in the middle of a burning building). The open-ending is also obvious and insulting given the poor quality of what's come before. Both horror fans and gaming enthusiasts are advised to pull the plug on this one!
Star rating:
Certificate: 15
Running time: 86mins
Review: Rob Carnevale
