effective but very disturbing

Rating: Null/10 (19 December 2005)

Gripping, suspenseful thriller about a sadistic serial "killer" who doesn't actually kill his victims, but instead devises elaborate schemes in which they'll either save themselves or die trying. The story focuses specifically on two men (one a renowned doctor with a wife and child) who are restrained inside a room and must play the killer's deadly game in order to escape with their lives. Grisly, at times unbearable horror film is inventive, well-crafted, and well-acted, placing it above the norm for most films of the genre. With shades of Seven the script is intense, thoroughly intriguing, and packs a real punch, but it's let down by a disappointing and unnecessary ending. To say the finale is definitely not for the squeamish would be an understatement, as even those with tough stomachs may find it unsettling. **Â½