Two out of
Five stars
Running time:
90 mins
Disappointing horror flick despite its interesting premise and a semi-decent cast – ultimately this falls apart at the end and is effectively neutered by its 12A rating.
What’s it all about?
Julian Morris plays Owen, a British transfer student who arrives at posh Westlake Prep school the same weekend that a townie girl gets murdered. He quickly falls in with attractive, mischievous and stupidly named redhead Dodger (Lindy Booth) and her gang of bored rich kids who name themselves
The Liar’s Club after a secret game they play where the best liar wins. However, their games backfire when students start disappearing following an email hoax they initiated.
The Good
The film has an intriguing premise and makes suspenseful use of all the latest communication technology, such as Instant Messenger, text messages, camera phones and so on.
In addition, there’s also an impressive sequence set in a library with an energy-saving movement-detecting lighting system, plus an amusing fancy dress scene where several people show up dressed as the killer.
The Bad
The cast are attractive and engaging but also rather bland and, with the exception of Morris, not especially likeable. Similarly, the casting of Jon Bon Jovi as their journalism teacher is likely to provoke some unintentional laughs.
Unfortunately, the 12A rating means that the film lacks the two most essential ingredients for a teen horror flick - sex and gore. However, what really spoils the film is its ending – you can see the twist coming a mile away, even though it makes no sense at all.
Worth seeing?
Cry_Wolf is one of those films that’s quite fun while you’re watching it but ultimately disappointing and forgettable. It’s probably only worth seeing if you can manage to see it in a late-night screening packed with hyped-up, ready-to-be-scared teenagers.