13 Sins (2014)

Top comments

1. 

   ikkegoemikke

   "Congratulations.
   You have been selected for the opportunity to take part in a one-of-a-kind game show!"
   
   What would you do? You're sitting in your car, looking blankly around while waiting at a traffic light. You slowly begin to realize that your world is falling apart with you standing in the epicenter. Your dream to climb to a better position in the company where you work, was nipped in the bud by a sudden resignation because you are not enough ruthless and unfeeling. Your wife is pregnant and you're about to get married. You also have to take care of your mentally handicapped brother, which costs a lot of money. You have outstanding debts from your studies. And as icing on the cake, your aging "racist" father wants to move in with you. You come to the realization that your life is going to be a hell, since your future wife is an Afro-American.
   
   And then suddenly you get a phone call from someone, telling you that you have been selected to participate in a simple game where you have to finish 13 tasks so you'll receive a lousy 6.2 million dollars. The first task for $ 1,000 is to swat a fly that's flying around in your car. I wouldn't think about it for one second and smash that damn fly till it's as flat as a pancake. And so did Elliot (Mark Webber). As a result he sees his bank account filled with the promised sum of money.
   
   "13 Sins" is a horrifying thriller. You can see it coming that the following tasks aren't that obvious, but rather insane and they put Elliot all the time in a dilemma. Because if he doesn't perform the job, or explains the whole thing to someone or deliberately tries to sabotage the game, he's automatically disqualified and he loses the laboriously saved up money.
   
   This movie is based on the popular Thai film made ​​in 2006 by Chookiat Sakweerakul. Granted I haven't seen the original film, and probably there will be a multitude of supporters shouting loudly that this is an abomination of the original superb film. I have no idea if that's true, but I thought this was a decent film full of suspense and entertainment. Elliot is being confronted with the phenomenon of human weakness. He realizes that what he's doing isn't socially acceptable and yet he overcomes his distaste and disgust about his actions, because the goal in the end is so promising . Mark Webber (" Goodbye World") succeeds in showing those mixed feelings perfectly. You see his alter ego evolve from excited and enthusiastic, to disgusted and pronounced outraged. For me this was a great interpretation. He also has a certain charisma that makes you feel directly involved with his sad situation and he immediately arouses sympathy. Devon Graye also convinces as Michael, the mentally handicapped brother. At times it's terrifyingly real. A chatterbox who must take his pill on time and has fixed rituals like driving at a certain speed on a main road. To the annoyance of other road users.
   
   Rutina Wesley is for the most part just an insignificant side character. Until the end. Then there's a defining moment in which the whole process could well restart. Looking at it afterwards, this is actually the key moment in the whole film. Ron Perlman, the chameleon in the film world, better known as "Hellboy", fits perfectly into the role of the dubious detective Chilcoat. His over-sized chin alone, makes an overwhelming impression.
   
   The moment Chilcoat starts showing interest in the matter, leads to a rapidly succession of twists and finally ending up in a totally insane finish. The rapid pace at which the film is set, and the succession of lurid scenes, makes sure you can't think about the sense and nonsense of the whole thing. "13 Sins" isn't really a horror but rather a tight "to the point" thriller involving topics such as materialism and judgments, in an elevated manner, about the fate of others. A successful concept with occasional gore sections which were well appreciated.
   
   More reviews here 6 years 6 months ago
2. 

   Siskoid

   13 Sins is a high-concept thriller, actually a remake from a Thai film, about a game that offers 13 challenges that will change your life. Starts out small, for small amounts of cash, but take it to the extreme, and you could be a millionaire overnight. How far would you go? Beyond that question, which the audience may ask itself, there's nothing too remarkable about the film. I mean, it's effective enough, with a clever plot that makes use of all its characters, but it's not revolutionary, and it never answers some of the questions it asks. If the idea is to see if you can turn people into monsters, then our protagonist is surely more resilient than most, often following up his "sins" with an attempt at making amends. You can judge for yourself if he's redeemed or damned at the end. I wouldn't call it ambiguous so much as vaguely written. Fairly enjoyable, but don't ask too much from it. 7 years 9 months ago
3. 

   jhhayes

   Makes the viewer ponder what they'd do if they were in the same scenario. 8 years 11 months ago

See all comments

Friends

Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!