Overview: A razor-sharp blend of thriller and the blackest of comedies, Cheap Thrills takes an ordinary night out among friends and turns it into a cruel, twisted game of survival.

Fired from his job and facing eviction, this might be the worst night of Craig’s life. While drowning his sorrows in a bar, he runs into Vince, a childhood friend he hasn’t seen in years. Their reunion takes an unexpected turn when they’re approached by Colin and Violet, an eccentric and wealthy couple with a strange but simple offer: complete a few dares for cash!

Sounds like an easy payday ... at first. As the stakes rise and the dares become ever more twisted, Craig and Vince are pushed to their physical and moral limits in a warped contest where only one can come out on top.

Starring Pat Healy and Sara Paxton from The Innkeepers alongside Ethan Embry (Vacancy) and David Koechner (Krampus), and marking the audacious debut of director E.L. Katz, Cheap Thrills is a tense and darkly hilarious look at the road from desperation, to recklessness, to savagery!

Blu-ray Verdict: If you like shock value in your movies, then look no further than Cheap Thrills. I must say I haven’t cringed in a movie for quite some time, but this film had me writhing in disgust on multiple occasions. But you know what? I loved it. Cheap Thrills has everything you could want in a gritty, grotesque thriller, with some extremely dark comedic undertones to boot. Supported by some very convincing acting and writing, this movie certainly delivered a unique viewing experience.

The premise of Cheap Thrills is rather relatable; A mid-20’s man struggles to pay the bills for his wife and young son and finds himself facing eviction from his apartment. After then losing his job, he seeks an out at a local bar where he reunites with an old friend from high school. Here, the two old friends meet a rather precarious couple who seemingly like to party hard.

The couple puts the two friends up to some friendly dares for big money, with each dare pushing the boundaries that the men are willing to endure. Soon things aren’t so friendly anymore, and the two friends find themselves in an all out war to compete for the couple’s money.

The reason I found this film so relatable is simple: the right amount of money can sway even the most reasonable people to do the most unthinkable things. People are capable of doing unbelievable things when faced with survival, and Cheap Thrills captures that essence perfectly. This movie is a dark, twisted take on the human condition, and what we as people deem important in society.

The writing here is solid too, but what really made it come to life was the acting. I’ve seen Pat Healy in a few previous works (Magnolia, Rescue Dawn), but I will always remember him for this film. Watching his character, Craig, progress through the movie is quite incredible, as you see a seemingly normal and levelheaded man consistently test his personal boundaries to ensure his family’s wellbeing.

Ethan Embry, whom I had not heard of prior to seeing this, also delivers a very impressive performance as Craig’s friend from high school, Vince. It’s obvious Vince has lived a rough life since his high school days and Embry does a magnificent job portraying those nuances. David Koechner, whom I’ve mostly seen working in comedy, is solid as the wealthy party man, and showed me that he has some range in this film.

Sara Paxton’s character, Violet, is pretty forgettable, which seemed by design. She has very few lines and seems to serve mostly as sex appeal. Overall, however, the acting is very good throughout, as it needs to be in my opinion to make such a crazy story seem plausible.

In closing, the films one of the most unique movies I’ve seen in a while and managed to capture the despair and greed that people endure in life perfectly. While shocking, and sometimes grotesque, Cheap Thrills is also very approachable and relatable. The characters in this movie seem very human, and I think many who watch this will find themselves connected to these people in some way despite how twisted the subject material can be! [P.S.]

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Audio commentary with director E.L. Katz and actor Pat Healy
With Friends Like These, a newly filmed interview with director E.L. Katz and producer Travis Stevens
Money Talks, a newly filmed interview with actors Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, David Koechner, and Sara Paxton
Double Down, a newly filmed interview with writers Trent Haaga and David Chirchirillo
Ketchup, Cheese, and (Fake) Blood, a newly filmed interview with special effects/make-up artist Hugo Villaseñor
Vital Heat: The Making of Cheap Thrills, an archive featurette
Cheap Thrills at Fantastic Film Festival 2013, an archive featurette
Theatrical trailer
Cheap Shots, a gallery of photos taken by Sara Paxton’s character, Violet, as seen in the film
On-set production photos
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde
Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde
Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Heather Wixson and Matt Donato

Cheap Thrills | Original Trailer

Official Purchase Link

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