13 Sins (2014) review

Director: Daniel Stamm
Starring: Mark Webber, Devon Graye and Tom Bower
Run time: 93 minutes

I decided to take risks recently with films, so instead of doing my usual and reading two thirds of the plot on Wikipedia, I’m watching films with next to no prior information on the story. This pays off nine out of ten times, but occasionally there are some that make me think that my Tesco run for jiffy bags would make a more enthralling movie. So, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out if this film was an unforgiving risk.

Mark Webber plays Elliot Brindle, an unfortunate soul who is money starved whilst trying to support his pregnant wife, disabled brother and abusive father – not the easiest job. But his issues seem like yesterday’s news when a strange phone call states that killing and eating a fly could gain him some serious cash. When things delve deeper into the sinister, it’s not long before Elliot is consumed with the money and the overwhelming sense this might have been too good to be true.

I’m particularly fond of psychological horrors, and although this film wouldn’t hit my number spot for the subgenre, it definitely provides a clever and unpredictable plot. Gathered with the ‘lads’ (my two noble steeds for film sessions) we all gaggled about how we wouldn’t be as foolish as Brindle to indulge in these tasks and accept the money, but that’s probably a lie. The theme of “How far would you go for X about of money?” is common, however this film really made you wonder about not only what kind of sins you’d commit but also how much you’d hurt those you loved.

We watch Elliot’s spiralled obsession with the game, and his fixation on having this money that would eradicate all of his problems. With his rational decision making obscured by the dollar signs flashing across his pupils, we see Elliot commit even more horrendous crimes, completely forgetting the fact that money can’t help you fight the law when you’re in the wrong (unless you can get Saul as your lawyer). There are some inventive kills in this film, with one scene in particular that had a sweet and sickly tone with some added gore, although there always could have been room for a little more in my eyes.

I’m fairly on the detective ball when it comes to guessing the twist in a film, but there was not a single moment that I even had a hunch of what was really going on. If you’re one who gets excited by psychological films that make you pose a question to yourself and also turn the tables a little, this one is worth a watch.

Verdict: 4 out of 5