Among Friends

"Among Friends" is the directorial debut of scream queen Danielle Harris and if that isn't enough to spark your interest take a look at some of the other super talented people involved. Alyssa Lobit penned this little gem and is slowly proving that she's a rock star screen writer headed for the top. Lobit also stars in the film and carries herself well amongst a troop of indie horror veterans. The film also stars horror genre icon Kane Hodder, Christopher Backus, Jennifer Blanc, Dana Daurey, Brianne Davis, Chris Meyer, and of course the great A.J. Bowen. A.J. Bowen is swiftly becoming a horror genre icon himself. I can't believe how many truly awesome films Bowen has starred in over the last five years or so. "Among Friends" is probably best described as "Misery" meets "The Breakfast Club." The film kicks off with what appears to be a tight knit group of friends attending a retro eighties party. The group is taken hostage by an insane and apparently jilted Bernadette that wants to show them the error of their ways. It doesn't take long before the secrets and lies binding the group together begin to tear it apart (literally).

I really liked this film for a lot of different reasons but the truth is there's not much here that we haven't seen before. Harris does a very solid job in her first time behind the camera. There are several instances in the film where one of the characters has drug induced delusions. Harris is especially impressive in these moments as she is able to set those scenes apart from the story we're watching and then pull us back at just the right moment. Although the film is decent in all aspects it never really seems to decide where it wants to go or even how far. This is very evident in the films last twenty minutes which make little sense and almost completely stomp out any fire we had burning here. The production value here is unfavorable and I say that having just had a similar retro eighties party for my daughters sweet sixteen. Honestly the party cost us a couple thousand dollars and would have made twice the set produced in this film. I have to nitpick a little bit that's just my nature but let me counter that by saying my two girl's ages 16 and 11 absolutely loved this film, so what do I know. Through it all the film tries hard to stay interesting, bloody, and pure fun. It's not a great film but it's a great start and hopefully we'll get more of Harris behind and in front of the camera. I give this film 6/10 and recommend it to all off-beat horror fans. Let me know what you thought about this group of friends and there dirty little secrets.

I was looking forward to see the debut of Danielle Harris as a director. She should know what should be in a horror flick because face it, she's in the scene from her youth (Halloween 4 (1988)) until today and has been seen in a few classics within the genre. But I was left with a bitter feeling at the end. I liked it somehow but I also had a few problems with this debut.

I liked the story and the way it was shown. But I had troubles with the editing somehow. It's clear that reaction shots were inserts and the inserts are edited to slow. The reaction of some doesn't fit into the fact or reason why they should react. On the other hand, the torture that we do see is okay and it all looked good but once one of the friends is tortured he or she just staid in the game. When fingers are being cut off or even one his testicles they all stay alive. maybe I don't get it and it's all part of this flick but for me that teared this flick down.

It's funny to see Kane Hodder and Michael Biehn here in a cameo which is normal, Danielle worked together with Hodder in Hatchet to Hatchet 3 and her best friend is Jessica Blanc, who is married with Micheal Biehn.

Due the way the torture and the afterglow was presented I also had a bit of a problem with the acting. Still, Danielle did well and there are a few rare scene's to see especially when Lily is tripping on paddo's.

Is it a must see for the geeks of the genre, well, I understand that a few did have actual problems with Among Friends. It never really becomes gory and there's no nudity even as there are a few erotic scene's and the ending, there's a lot to say about that part too. Among Friends, you love it or hate it, sadly I'm in between.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5

I am admittedly a die-hard fan of Danielle Harris, and so I was very hopeful that this film would be enjoyable, but in the end Among Friends completely exceeded even my highest expectations. A lifetime in front of the camera in the ambiance of horror has certainly paid off behind the camera, and it was clear that this film drew inspiration from the classics without sacrificing any originality.

From the onset, there is a very throwback feel to Among Friends as we are introduced to the characters through jumpy transitions between quickly paced shots and still images. To circumvent the limitations of a low budget, the film takes on the backdrop of the 1980s via an 80's themed party to avoid the anachronism of the occasional cell phone or modern car. All the while, there is plenty of gore and random humor to string everything together perfectly, and the characters are surprisingly well developed despite the shirt run time.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough; it is original, loaded with cameos, and very rewatchable.

Among Friends has some great things going for it. The story is interesting, the actors (for the most part) do a great job, and some of the directorial decisions make this a fun ride. The movie does borrow from a handful of other movies. Saw, Would you Rather, and Deranged being among them. But the movie distinguishes itself and is better than some of the movies it shares similarities with.

However, as much fun as I had with Among Friends and as invested as I was with the characters and their situation, the ending kills this movie. Simply because there is no conclusion. The movie just ends. There's no reason for a film maker to not create an ending for their movie. As the viewers we've invested the time into getting to know the characters and anticipate how the story unfolds. It's the writer and director's job to make sure that the story has a satisfactory conclusion. Not always happy, not always straightforward, but an ending that makes me glad I invested the time into watching the movie. Among friends doesn't have this. I just felt frustrated, cheated, and completely unsatisfied.

In conclusion, I can't recommend this movie. It's frustrating how much potential was displayed and then squandered.

I'll give it props for the truth bumps and the bits of psych facts (bystander effect, anyone?) Apart from that it's all just nope in it's purest sense.

First, this all happened because of a "psychotic" psychiatrist. I mean, I get that this was in the early 10s, when the world was still fine tuning social media and whatever but what in the Hannibal Lecter, Saw with a dash of Cruel Intentions, Mean Girls, American Pie and Sorority Row all rolled into one?!

I just, I feel like that bit about the "psychotic" psychiatrist wasn't well researched enough. It's like saying that all people with mental disorders can be summed up in one word. So many questions are in my mind because of that character, like I want to know what set her up to be this self-righteous yet blunt messiah.

And what's with the 80s theme? It's like it was only there to justify corny torture.

I was expecting it to be a whodunnit wherein "friends" drop the scam and reveal their true colors just to clear their names.

It would have made a difference if it focused on how well does one know their friend; like letting people take a step back, make the haze go away and let them see things as they really are. Like Bernadette should just be in the shadows, taking care to not bring attention to herself, a voice that taunts or haunts each person. In turn, they'll be so unsettled, they'll eventually turn on each other.