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Are You Scared? (2006) Online

Are You Scared? (2006) Online
Original Title :
Are You Scared?
Genre :
Creative Work / Horror
Year :
2006
Directror :
Andy Hurst
Cast :
Alethea Kutscher,Erin Consalvi,Brad Ashten
Writer :
Andy Hurst
Type :
Creative Work
Time :
1h 19min
Rating :
3.1/10
Are You Scared? (2006) Online

Six kidnapped teens awake in an abandoned factory to discover they're being filmed for a twisted and terrifying reality show.
Cast overview:
Alethea Kutscher Alethea Kutscher - Kelly
Erin Consalvi Erin Consalvi - Cherie
Brad Ashten Brad Ashten - Brandon
Carlee Avers Carlee Avers - Laura
Kariem Marbury Kariem Marbury - Jason
Soren Bowie Soren Bowie - Dylan
Eric Francis Eric Francis - Det. Jay Bowman
Jennifer Cozza James Jennifer Cozza James - Christine Robinson (as Jennifer Cozza)
Brent Fidler Brent Fidler - Shadow Man
Rydell Danzie Rydell Danzie - SWAT Team Leader
Madison Dylan Madison Dylan - Tara (as Madison Petrich)
Patricia Place Patricia Place - Neighbor
John Jolly John Jolly - Store Manager
Minh Tuan Nguyen Minh Tuan Nguyen - Lab Technician (as Mick Minh Nguyen)
Amy Lyndon Amy Lyndon - Kelly's Mom


User reviews

Coidor

Coidor

It is only getting one star because there isn't an option for a complete zero. I have seen better day time cartoons than this movie. Not only was the plot stolen from SAW, it almost seems as if you're watching the movie again but yet through the eyes of a 2 year old. Awful acting, poor script, VERY VERY BADLY DIRECTED, I really just don't know how to tell you to stay away from this movie other than please.. rather than waste your time watching this, just think of all the harm you could be doing to the ozone.. or maybe even go to your kids softball game, or just stick your finger down your throat and induce vomiting to get the effect of how you will feel after watching this movie knowing you will never be able to get this part of your life back forever. LOL
Ance

Ance

Garbage. That's all I can say about this piece of crap. I was rooting for the killer. The main characters were so irritating and stupid, I wish they would have died earlier. Didn't the killer think about the fact that these "teens" would tear out those low hanging cameras? How about the dumb loud mouth girls standing in the middle of the room in the only light available making enough noise to raise the dead. Stupid! Most annoying people I have ever seen in front of a camera (I will not call these people actors, they couldn't act their way out of a paper bag). Never mind that the movie is a blatant rip off of another movie. Even if it wasn't, I'd still call it a piece of crap. When are they going to stop making these "teenagers in peril" trash? I'd almost rather see remakes. There was nothing entertaining, sexy, or interesting about the film. What a waste. I'm never renting Lion's Gate garbage again. After Mr. Jingles, I should have known better anyway. Save your money and watch "Saw" again. There's nothing but stupidity here. The only good thing about the movie is...hopefully all the casting agents will see the crappy actors in this dung heap and refuse to ever put them in front of another camera. I hated this movie! No doubt about it! I hope some of the technicians involved used a fake name. They deserve better than have their name on this piece of trash.
Voodoogore

Voodoogore

Are You Scared is a cheap imitation of Saw. A madman kidnaps a bunch of teens who apply for a reality TV contest. Turns out the show is way too real for everyone as they all start dying in contests where there is no way to win and there is an audience of one. Everything moves pretty fast, which is nice when the effects and dialog are well below average. Lighting was terrible, camera work was fine, screen play was OK. Directing was marginal, and editing was good. Some twists at the end made it a little more interesting. One thing I noticed is that I didn't feel sorry for the characters when they died because they were all pretty annoying. Even the police and FBI characters didn't generate any real sympathy.
Walan

Walan

Okay, the movie itself, removed from anything isn't bad at all. Good production values, decent fx work enhanced with some (budget) cg work, nice camera work, good sound and score, etc. The characters are contrived and two dimensional, but thats not the actor's fault. They don't write their own lines. For the most part, they do as much as they can with what was given to them, and at no point distract from the story. Ah the story. What if Mason Verger from "Hannibal" watched Saw 2, and decided to copy it nearly scene for scene, character for character? Well that would give you this little flick. Generally these copycat movies take a premise and at least alter it (the asylum's under cutter films immediately come to mind: The Hillside Cannibals, The Paossesion of Gail Bowers, When a Stalker Comes, Snakes on a Train, etc) This one however just blatantly rips off Saw 2. Right down to the surgically implanted key, and the Dina Meyer character. Copying a theme is bad enough, but going so far as too copy specific scenes in hugely successful films, and then having them released a year later is just pathetic. I mean had this film been released before, or concurrently with Saw 2, it would be something, but a year later? Come on now. At any rate, if you can put aside the blatant lack of originality, or if you are a horror fan who hasn't seen the Saw franchise, you will probably enjoy this, but if you have seen it, then pass this one.
inform

inform

If you've seen Saw, then you are aware of the basic principles of the movie. A disturbed individual kidnaps a bunch of kids and claims they are apart of a game show. Little do they know, the only winnings will cost them their lives. This demented thriller seems to follow in its footsteps with a little twist; it sucks. Simply stated, the actors are terrible. The 'victims' took acting 101, but beyond that the rest of the crew needs to go back to their day job. Gore, blood, and fried carcass galore. Looking for some more twisted violence and you can look past the poor acting, then maybe you can sit through this nightmare. My advise is to pass and go see Saw III.
Skiletus

Skiletus

Ohhh yeah! This is a bad Saw movie's copy. Three boys ( a noisy and stupid black guy that obvious dies first ) and three cute girls with nice legs were kidnapped by a crazy guy who has a burned face. Then wake up in an abandoned wear house they soon discover that they are all being watched by some one who has put cameras everywhere, then they are asked to play a game and face what they fear the most. At the same time two officers are trying to solve the case. The games are handled by... buttons! How much imagination from Andy Hurst. When the two brothers are in the chairs they want to put an scene of drama like the last minutes of "Titanic" and it sucks. The actors are worse than Paris Hilton at "House of Wax" and the effects are really bad.

It does not produce fear, it's not original and if you like "Saw" you do not rent it.

Sory, but my English it's very bad...

-
Androwyn

Androwyn

Some movies seem to be nothing more than a rehash of movies that were at one time very well done. Others are just mindless remakes that take what was good from the original, add some kind of thin plot so that it is not the same movie they are ripping off, then say that it is something new or original. This you have seen before, from the time the movie opens to when the movie ends, and if you can not guess what movie this is you are watching I will give you two hints. Saw and Saw two. When a group of young people wake up in an abandoned wear house they soon discover that they are all being watched by some one who has put cameras everywhere, then they are asked to play a game and face what they fear the most. In the mean time two officers are trying to solve the puzzle by thinking the bad guy is trying to teach people a lesson through his own pain. Will they find the young people in time, will the young people survive the traps, will the movie ever end? Watch and find out, same saw time, same saw channel.
Ynonno

Ynonno

Okay, I'm a huge movie fan, HUGE. I have been made fun of by friends and my brothers for some of the movies I've liked. Where is this going? My point....I like a VERY wide variety of movie and it takes a really, really bad piece-of-crap movie before I will dislike it. This movie was TOTAL CRAP! Not only was this a very VERY weak attempt to rip-off a first-class movie (the "Saw" series) but they didn't even try to be original. Even down the bad guy's voice and use of voice modifier, it was such a total crappy rip-off of Saw. I'm not even going to waste any more time listing all the bad things about this movie because I've already wasted the time watching it (I admit, I couldn't make it past the first 37 minutes!).

My advice to you? Go into your local video store, put on a blindfold, wander around, and stick your hand out and grab anything within reach....and I promise you it will be better than this film.
Thetalune

Thetalune

This film follows the idea of saw trap some people in a room see how far they will go to save themselves.

This is nothing more than a rip off of Saw and Cube, the acting was terrible all very over the top and very stereotypical, the direction and writing is laughable, the traps them self's haven't been thought through properly, and the ones they did use were not only stupid to the point that you feel insulted, it feels like they have dumbed the film down on purpose.

I like to try and leave a good comment where i can and thinking back to the film i really can't.

Watching this film really makes you enjoy Saw and Cube sooo much more because how anyone can really enjoy this film is beyond me.

My advice steer clear you could spend your money on a lot better.
Unde

Unde

This movie is awful. Plain and simple. The editing was horrible, in one scene the guys face is messed up on the wrong side. And I think I have seen better acting in adult movies. This was right there with "bathing a cat" on the fun scale. And the most disappointing part, no bad actresses baring their bods. Shameful. No redeeming value at all. I think this would fall under Warren's definition of obscene material, i.e. "utterly without redeeming social value". This really is the worst piece of film ever put together. I think my TV almost broke when I watched it, it was really that bad. Long and short, do not waste your time on this. I think I may see if I can sue someone to get that hour and a half back.
Otrytrerl

Otrytrerl

I wasn't expecting much from this film but wow, what an amazing rip off of saw;just like how the lead singer of Creed tried to be Eddie Vedder. The only difference in this movie is that the victims think they're in a game show. wahoo! There's not too much to say about the movie. Each victim gets knocked off one by one as of course there is three girls and three boys with a token black guy and guess who gets killed first? Then towards the end they try to make this movie good by adding twists but I have to say, i Did predict the ending.

Now if you love your b-horrors than watch this film. It's not the worst that I've ever seen and many of you may find it entertaining. For all you Saw fans, skip this one.
Light out of Fildon

Light out of Fildon

First of all, my quick review. By far one of the worst movies ever made, anyone who says otherwise (besides the ones who found this entertainingly stupid) has no clue about movies whatsoever. The acting was hilariously bad, I could do much better without having ever acted. The camera work was pretty "high school movie project", and the story wasn't even REMOTELY original. SAW 2 was this movie professionally done. Or I guess, more accurately, THIS movie was SAW 2 unprofessionally done. And that's a gross understatement. Let me give you five reasons why, off the top of my head: 1. If you said it's not really a rip off of SAW 2, consider this: there is a key placed in someone's insides that must get removed (SAW 2 does this, and OH! so does SAW 1). There are two main cops, a man and a woman. The woman cop is trying to restrain the aggressive man cop from being unprofessional, from rushing into things, and from being too aggressive. The woman cop has curly longish hair. She is not a very good actress. Sound familiar?? Dina Meyer from SAW 2 and her buddy cop Donnie Wahlberg. Um, what else? How about the whole concept of a bunch of people stuck in a room with death traps awaiting them that is relevant to their lives, and each one can escape or survive by winning their twisted game? Where have I heard that before??? Oh yeah, SAW 2. The voice transformations by the boring, flat villain who may as well be called "Reciprocating Saw" so as not to completely give away the connection. The stack of TV monitors he watched to enjoy his game... Yeah, this movie had a FEW rip off moments, especially coming one year after SAW 2... Awful movie...

2. Near the end of the movie, we see this flash of scenes that goes from inside to outside of the building/warehouse. We hear this goofy awfully placed soundtrack every time we see the Dina Meyer copycat cop outside the building. The suspense builds as we wait for the two "stories" to meet up. NEVER HAPPENS!!! SHE NEVER GETS IN!!! How stupid and pointless were all those minutes watching her sneak around the building with her gun?? Awful movie...

3. Near the end when the hero lady is in the control room, she puts some chain lightly around the door handle, and this STOPS the mad man from entering. It doesn't even LOOK like it could stop him, nevertheless the fact that it COULDN'T. They could have at least fooled our eyes a bit. But no. THEN, she doesn't know whether he's still behind the door or not, so she slowly undoes the chain. THERE'S A MONITOR RIGHT BEHIND HER WITH HIS LOCATION BEING TRACKED!! Why not look there first, see where he is, plan accordingly, THEN unlock the supposedly locked up door?? Awful movie...

4. The genius villain can rig up light bulbs to explode on cue, films to start playing on cue, the ridiculous gun trap where there's no way the a little tug on a wire shoots all those guns off, one after another, and they all MAGICALLY hit him, although he's not even in the center of the circle... Or any of the traps really. They're far-fetched to say the least. Awful movie...

5. Stupidity. The girl waits for the supposed "villain" to come out of the elevator, so she stand 8 ft back from the elevator door to attack him with a pole. She doesn't seem like she knows how to tie her own shoe, but she'll attack this grand master genius with a pole. Instead of placing herself intelligently out of sight, beside the elevator, she awaits him head on. Stupid. Then this weak stupid girl can put a pole through another guy's body. ALL THE WAY THROUGH!! How? Stupid. And how was that guy alive and standing up?? No way he'd be alive. STUPID. They constantly separate when they're all terrified. No one would be that stupid in real life, when they're that scared. The villain somehow escapes the building alive, tracks down the daughter, sets up a camera in the house, somehow wires it to her TV and can change it to a live feed magically. Would he do all that just to come in and kill her? Stupid.

The gore is insanely fake looking, the acting is inexcusable, the brains of the characters are non-existent, and the movie is intolerable. I like good B horror flick, but this redefined awful. Please avoid this and save yourself the time unless you want to set a personal new "worst movie ever". I could make a better movie with my friends in a week.
Dilkree

Dilkree

it was like a cheap porn...very little plot, half done effects and certain events that were poorly portrayed and done...not scary in one degree just something funny to watch as a humor to a horror movie. there were almost copy cats of saw 2 and fear dot com. i did not see the point in some of the acting and you can tell that it was a low budget film. i think the director needs to reconsider his career and maybe become a film critic or a theater teacher at a small university...if you see this movie be prepared for some disappointment and some blatant disregard of "horror move procedure" the stereotypes were way over played, tho it did have maybe one twist to the movie...had this movie taken the plot a bit further then it may not be bad but it relied on saw and feardotcom to much to gain dramatic effect, in other words there horror wasn't horror, it was been there killed that.
Hucama

Hucama

This movie lacks much in the way of character development or cohesive plot but delivers on blood and gore! The acting is in the most part woeful. Alethea Kutcher in the character of Kelly is the exception to this rule and reminded me of Ripley in Alien and was the redeeming feature of this movie. It will be interesting to see if she starts appearing in other things as she seemed in a different class to the rest of the cast......

All in all enjoyable in a shallow instant way Don't expect too much in the way of Direction but the tension does build nicely and there are some wickedly conceived moments!
Quinthy

Quinthy

First off, If you can't tolerate a ripoff, then don't watch this, and then whine about it. It is definitely not original entertainment, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining. One thing that stood out was the traps/ death scenes, which were cruel, inventive, and nasty. The power tools', the acid, and the bomb in particular were creative. I agree with the first reviewer about the cast, they were disposable for the most part, but the villain and our lead heroine were very good, and kept my interest. I might get some heat for this, but the traps were right on par with the films' it copies, and that alone makes it a must see for fans of those classics'. I went in with low expectations, and was pleasantly surprised with the overall quality of the production. In the end it came down to the cool booby traps and surprise twist, that elevated it to the above average category. They leave the ending open for a sequel.
Nidor

Nidor

I caught this last night on television, and the premise sounded interesting enough, a play on peoples fear of reality TV shows. While I am a fan of some reality TV shows, I certainly recognize the inherent wrongness in some of the shows. Aside from the obvious privacy issues, where are the ethics in whats OK and what crosses the line in exploitation? Usually I would say "consent", but sometimes I wonder. In this film, the unlucky participants applied to a show titled "Are You Scared?", which to them probably meant something along the lines of the relatively harmless "Fear Factor". Alas,they are chosen when they least expected it. They were kidnapped and awoke it a run down building, trapped there by the insane host.

This is a rip off of the "Saw" movies, which I found to be very unsettling because of the mean spiritedness of the Jigsaw Killer, but I was utterly bored by the dialog and acting in them. Here, the same is true for the most part, one scene with a male and female detective was enough for me to know that all subsequent scenes would be equally trite and boring, so I skipped all of the scenes containing them. I also skipped some useless scenes from the helpless victims inside the abandoned building. The actors portray stupid thoughts and actions, in particular the first person to be offed, who does not realize that his life is in grave danger, despite having a surgical scar on his body that wasn't there before, and no one considers that they were kidnapped and drugged, brought here against their will. Not even the biggest "fame whore" would approve of that I don't think. However, during some scenes, these people are likable enough, they aren't scumbags who are being taught a lesson by an insane toymaker, like in the Saw movies. They are normal, everyday folk who are being put in a situation beyond their control, and what could be scarier then that? The death scenes are suitably gruesome and ironic, according to the fear of that person. The story itself and twist ending is mediocre, and while the victims are likable, no one in the movie leaves much of an impression, well, except for one scene. There is one scene in here that terrified me beyond belief. If you don't want to be spoiled, don't read the next paragraph.

When it's the twin brother and sisters turn to die, the host plays a clip of their audition video. The brother says that he is not afraid of anything, and the sisters only fear is losing her brother. The game that the psychopathic host has set up for them is of course going to play on this in a cruel way. Both are hooked up to chairs, facing each other, and the host tells the brother(forgive me for not remembering their names, though it doesn't really matter in a film like this, does it?) to press a button or they'll be disqualified. This sets off a drill saw that will bore a hole into his brain unless the sister presses a button next to her, which then sets the drill in her direction. While there are countless scenes of terrible deaths in film and especially this kind of film, this partiular scene is utterly terrifying. In this moment, and this moment only, the emotional pull you have towards the characters is very strong, and thus, the quality of the acting is very good. You an see the love that these siblings have for each other, and you can see on their faces that they realize one of them is going to suffer a horrible death. Eventually, the brother sacrifices himself so the sister can live, and the totally understandable breakdown that follows is heartbreaking. It is meant to be a standard gory death typical of this horror sub genre("Torture Porn" is an apt descriptor for most of the trash that comes from this genre), but it is set up with such surprising emotional honesty and suspense(notice the music that is played in the intermediate stage before the twin brother gets killed) that it becomes a very memorable scene in an otherwise forgettable movie.

Besides that one scene, the film has not much more to offer except for a likable cast, moody atmosphere and a few interesting exploitation deaths.
Tam

Tam

After reading all the negative comments here I didn't even want to see this movie anymore. But I did anyway because I was really bored, and I am glad I did because I really enjoyed it. The acting isn't really good, but it doesn't suck either, except for maybe a few stupid scenes (I laughed at the soldiers) Same goes for the special effects. About the plot, it might seem a lot like saw at first, but I think that's true only for the general concept of making people play deadly games. I'd like to call it a Saw-style movie.

Anyway, if you want some simple entertaining horror, and if you don't mind watching TV movies, you'll enjoy this one.
Coiron

Coiron

To make things perfectly clear once and for all, yes, this is a rip-off of "Saw", as well as a little bit of a rip off of "Se7en", and maybe even a hair of "The Empire Strikes Back". But SO WHAT?!? This is what is known as 'camp' - Defined by one-time Simpsons character John as being 'the ludicrously tragic' or 'the tragically ludicrous'. Just because it is awful doesn't mean that is isn't fun. Horrible script, horrible acting, decent gore. It is a formula that has been used long before the decline and return of the R-rated horror. How many dozens of movies ripped off "Friday the 13th" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"? Does that mean they have no entertainment value?? Absolutely not! If you want rich story lines and award-winning acting, stick with movies like "The Last Emperor" or "Seasons of the Fall" or any of the other boring 3-and-a-half hour Hollywood swill that is so common. This is a movie for people who liked "Sleepaway Camp" or "Cheerleader Massacre" or any other wacky horror film from the 80s. Visually, I was rather pleased. The quality of the video is better than you would expect to see from Troma-type films. The reason I give it a 7 is because of the fact that it is in fact no "Saw" and there were moments in the film that seemed to drag a bit. But it is definitely not a zero or a 1. There IS entertainment value. Watch this film knowing what it is and what it is not beforehand and, if that is your thing, I am sure you will be able to enjoy it.
MrCat

MrCat

This comment may be misleading! This movie was simply amazing, the plot, the script, the acting and the theme music it was so good! Honestly I have never heard of a more original script and plot in my life. What an amazing movie! I lingered at every twist and turn and saw nothing coming. I mean seriously just the fact that it was soooo unpredictable amazed me. I haven't seen a better movie since like mike 2. This movie belongs up there with the other great horrors along with psycho and the omen. I was completely amazed when i found out that this movie was not up for any academy awards. It was flawless no plot holes nothing. I was also very moved by this moving, just the fact that you sat and watched as the girl watched her brother die brought a tear to my eye. I laughed, I cried, and then it ended. Hats off to Andy Hurst for making the greatest movie of all time. Bravo Andy bravo!!
Iriar

Iriar

Awful movie, it blew so bad acting was horrible. Actors were casted at the corner or Harlem, and the deaths were so stupid not even from a planet discovered yet. I could have made a better movie in my tree-house than this. Bottomline: I would rather wipe a dead Vietnamese mans crack thats been rotting in the ground for 2 months with my bare hand than watch or even recommend this movie.

i give it a 0/10 stars fer sure. I can't believe this was even produced, not to mention the rip off of saw, my god where does this idiot think he can make this. If i was him id be embarrassed to look at myself in the mirror.
Qwne

Qwne

I bought Are You Scared? from a used-movies-and-books store in my town for 50 cents and I feel incredibly ripped off.

6 teens are kidnapped and trapped in a warehouse by a guy who looks like Alec Baldwin (if Alec would walk through a meat-grinder) and forced to participate in a reality show that will cost them their lives. I watched the film up until Dylan, the second guy to get offed, gets a hole bored through his head (which would've been a gory death scene if it hadn't lasted for about 10 minutes). I couldn't watch it further because I was simply getting a genuine headache. One of the many things I found hilariously ridiculous was the fact that one of the girls, even though in a state of panic, didn't have the decency to button up her blouse, exposing her bra and bosoms to the world. It's funny how the director thought that a detail of that sort would somehow be good for this production.

The only time I was ever interested in this film was when I noticed that I own a pair of sneakers just like Dylans. Instead of watching this movie, film yourself vomiting and watch that. It'll be better for your braincells.
Der Bat

Der Bat

One uneventful Saturday night, I settle down on the couch with a good snack and some pop before grabbing my remote to find a free movie on Comcast's OnDemand section. I scroll down alphabetically and soon see the title, "Are You Scared." I read the synopsis and the sound of teenagers trapped in an abandoned warehouse by some psycho was quite familiar, but I decided to give it a shot.

The movie starts off with a a teenage girl (probably 17 or so), barefoot, hands tied behind her back and wearing some sort of torture device on her neck. A tape comes on saying that she press the red and green buttons in the correct order (in under a minute) to live. First she walks across a room with broken glass scattered everywhere and pushes the first button. She makes it back across to the other button which is located at the bottom of a fish tank. Time running out, she cries out in desperation and lunges her head into the fish tank, only to quickly pull out in pain as what she thought was water was actually acid.

It was the next scene when the detectives were investigating the girl's body and crime scene that I had to turn it off. The acting was mediocre and the chemistry between the characters was a textbook case of there being 'history' between the male and female detective.

This is such a blatant knock-off of SAW that I am utterly surprised that there is no lawsuit in the works. Take my advice, don't waste your time.
Llbery

Llbery

Now being a film student I have seen many many many films and know that some movies need to be given a chance. This one though is the first movie I gave a chance to and still was not able to make it past the first 15 minutes. It was horrible. Saw is very hard to imitate so only the professionals should do so. This director is a hack. Never make a horror movie again, for the sake of us all. This is the WORST MOVIE EVER! I have some done some cheesy horror shorts myself and they were done on no budget, and only as a class exercise. That film is even better then Are you Scared? I am disappointed by this ...... well first off its not even a film. It is video, but that aside it is not worthy to be called a film. Burn it now before anymore have to suffer.
Whitebinder

Whitebinder

Don't waste your time! Go and see the Saw series, which is the excellent piece of movie.

This "Are You Scared" film Is absolutely awful :( ! Look as filmed in the garage :( with ton of stroboscopes and, what is the worst, completely without any idea, only "copy & paste" from the Saw films.

Music is funny :(, it's joke...

Actors shaking as chicks and not play (i don't trust him single one move).

Go away, go away fast :)!

This Is real garbage, made without any idea.

It's waste of film materials and my time.
Shistus

Shistus

Are You Scared starts as a young man named Brandon (Brad Ashton) wakes up in a large warehouse with no memory of how he got there. After walking around for a bit he meets a young woman called Kelly (Alethea Kutscher) who also has no recollection of how she got there. Then a guy called Jason (Kariem Marbury) turns up as well as bother & sister Dylan (Soren Bowie) & Cherie (Erin Consalvi) all three of whom also claim to have no knowledge of how they got there. Finally a woman called Laura (Carlee Avers) show's up with an all too familiar story to tell, after talking to each other it seems the only thing the six complete strangers have in common is that they all applied to be contestants on a reality game show called Are You Scared. Then a sinister voice tells them they are going to play games for the ultimate prize, their own lives...

Written & directed by Andy Hurst one has to say I actually quite liked this fast paced horror thriller, don't get me wrong since I don't think it's any sort of masterpiece but I found it passed the time entertainingly enough. The script is a blatant rip-off of Saw (2004) with it's killer traps various people have to survive & an evil genius operating them (his disguised voice sounds exactly the same as Jigsaw's), there's a healthy dose of Cube (1997) in here as well with several complete strangers waking up in an unfamiliar environment with no memory of how they got there & there's even a smidgen of My Little Eye (2002) with the whole reality TV show theme that turns bad for it's contestants. Having said that it's never made clear whether the Are You Scared show is the same one that these kids find themselves in or whether someone has just used the concept for his own evil ends (if so how did he get hold of the audition tapes?) or whether the show was real in the first place. The whole message of Are You Scared is that it's better to have a merciful death than a painful life & it tries to say something profound about facing our fears but it doesn't come across that well. In Saw all the victims were there for a reason while here they seem to have been selected at random since we never get any sort of back-story for any of them except Kelly. I have to say though I did actually quite like Are You Scared, at only 80 odd minutes at least it's short, it moves along at a good pace, there are one or two good set-pieces & I did like the story even though it could have used a bit more work especially the character's.

There are one or two good set-pieces, the drill sequence where the brother & sister are strapped into chairs & have spinning drills on tracks coming towards them & if one stops their's the other one starts in particular is a neat idea. However the game at the end with Laura is a mess & it's unclear what the hell is going on & Jason's game doesn't make any sense either since I don't believe he wouldn't have noticed or felt that he had been surgically operated on some time before hand! There's some good gore here, there's a drill in someone's head, a burnt off face, some intestines, some blood splatter, someone is shot up with shotguns, someone blows up in a shower of blood, someone is impaled on a metal pole & a cool scene where someone gets their head chopped in half with an axe. Compared to a lot of low budget straight-to-video/DVD horror Are You Scared is actually quite well made with reasonably cinematography & special effects.

Shot in Los Angeles the production values are acceptable & compared to some low budget horror out there this is Oscar worthy. The acting is alright, certainly nothing amazing but alright. The girls look nice I suppose if nothing else.

Are You Scared is a film that I quite liked, it's a complete rip-off of several other successful horror films, it doesn't always make total sense & the character's are as one dimensional as they come but I liked it despite it's faults of which there are quite a few. So sue me.