The young cast finds themselves in big trouble in the new film after heading up to one of the friend's vacation home deep within the woods. Though this is the typical plot for hundreds of horror films, Mine Games manages to come up with plenty of unique ideas for its own film. The result is a horror film that is essentially split into two major settings and features a nice ending that will make viewers want to stick around until the final credits roll.
The cast of the film features several notable young actors who have already made a name for themselves in Hollywood, including most notably, Briana Evigan, who recently won an MTV Movie Award for the film Step Up 2: The Streets. There are several fairly strong performances through the entire film, which is a rarity in the horror industry, but the show is mostly stolen by actor Joseph Cross, who plays the character of Michael in the film. Michael is introduced as one of the first characters in the film with the nice nickname of the Gas Man before we learn he takes medication for a severe mental illness. The schizophrenia like episodes of the character combine with plenty of horrific scenes actually happening to the characters throughout the film to keep viewers guessing what is real and what is not and is one of the most interesting dynamics used by director Richard Gray in the entire movie.
Mine Games is essentially two horror films in one, with the introduction of the film and the brief aftermath centered around the cabin, and the rest of the film focusing on the group attempting to survive the horrors of an abandoned cave and mine found near the cabin. The early parts of the film take heavy inspiration from campy thrillers such as The Evil Dead and The Cabin in the Woods and includes the mandatory sex scene and other pieces of fan service. The action then shifts to the mine portion of the film, where the group finds all sorts of horrors including some ominous and important scribbled text stating to "Break the cycle." Though Mine Games doesn't do anything truly revolutionary during its storyline, the film does feature a pretty unique ending that fans will greatly enjoy.
Mine Games likely won't be considered among the best horror films of the year, but it's still good enough to see once. The film features some strong acting from the likes of Joseph Cross and Briana Evigan, and there are enough good ideas in the film to set Mine Games apart from other horror films in the same genre. Mine Games manages to conjure up some pretty scary and intense moments, and they're not always jump scares. Turn out the lights and turn on your copy of Mine Games tonight!
Mine Games is scheduled to release for DVD and Video on Demand beginnings May 6, 2014. Mine Games is unrated. For more information on the film, check out the official Mine Games website.
Movie Features:
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Director: Richard Gray
Running Time: 94 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Cast: Alex Meraz, Briana Evigan, Julianna Guill & Rafi Gavron