Truth or Dare

True horror with Cassie Scerbo, but the second half's too painful

RELEASED IN 2017 and directed by Nick Simon, "Truth or Dare" concerns eight college students who decide to party overnight at a house where several similar youths died under mysterious circumstances in 1983. Some kind of malevolent entity linked to the house forces them to play three rounds of 'Truth or Dare,' with each round upping the ante. Will any of them survive?

While "Truth or Dare" begins as a haunted house flick, it branches out after the first act. In other words, the youths aren't stuck in the house the entire movie. This is good because a one-dimensional setting like that can be challenging to pull off for filmmakers, as well as tedious to sit through for v...

"Truth or Dare" (2017) starts off with a decent introduction to its characters, setting the stage for what could have been an engaging horror ride. The first half builds some suspense and excitement, but as the second act progresses, the story starts to lose its way. By the time the third act rolls around, things fall apart with a lack of payoff, no real climax, no satisfying answers, and no closure. It leaves you with the feeling that the movie could have done so much more with its premise.

The acting is solid but not remarkable, and while the cinematography is passable, it doesn't do much to elevate the experience. The score? Honestly, I barely noticed it, which says a lot. The sets and locations are functional at best, but nothing sta...