Director: Charles Solly
Year: 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Creature Feature
Plot:
Stuck in an all-female prison, inmates are gathered together and offered a chance at a shorter sentence if they’re willing to participate in a strange game conducted by a mysterious benefactor, but when they realize it’s being held at a mansion overrun by massive snakes must try to get away alive.
Review:
Overall, this is a rather enjoyable enough genre effort. One of the finer aspects to be had here is the film’s fun setup that provides a more than worthy setup for this type of cheesy creature feature. The initial starting point with the group of inmates shown to be quite at odds with each other while they’re set in the facility and then offered the controversial chance at freedom with the mysterious game they can partake in to get that chance at freedom buys this a generally fun start here. With the devious nature of the mysterious owner is also given credence with the way they go about the gathering of the girls as their ability to undermine the sleazy warden and alien-like behavior does this all quite nicely as well for a solid enough opening setup.
That gives way to the usual standard cheesy creature attacks once the girls are thrust into the game and everything starts to get spelled out. As we’ve already got an idea of what’s going on with the opening attack on the victims in the mainstay hotel, there’s a sense of the type of content on display here which is what happens in the rest of the attacks. Relying on the idea of continuous shock ambushes where the creatures can pop out of the darkness and chase the screaming victims through the various rooms and hallways of the massive house, the use of cheesy setpieces where the snakes are put through their paces where the usual effects-work is present in fine form. As this all has a fun atmosphere present, it provides a lot to like.
This one does have some drawbacks that bring it down. The main issue here is the rather strange lack of interest derived from the girls who are playing the game as it's hard to care about any of them. Despite the setup of them getting wrapped up in this strange game being played, the fact that we get to know next to nothing about them due to the setup here rushing them out to the hotel and getting them to be chased by the snakes means that all we get in terms of a name to a face is one quick sequence showing them being selected for the program. If that’s glossed over, attaching a name to a face is not going to happen, and the interpersonal relationships of everyone since that does get brought up here as well make for a disconnected experience during the film.
As well, there’s also the strange way that this one manages to bring about some unnecessary storylines during the game that isn’t necessary. A major plot point involving one of the guards trying to help one of the women get through the night is just brought up out of nowhere and flies in the complete face of what the training has shown them to be, especially since it happens immediately with very little brush-back. Likewise, a bit involving some drama between several of the girls from their prison terms involving personal drama that spills over into fighting each other throughout the house as it’s unappealing and unrealistic that they’d continue acting this way in the situation. These factors are what end up holding this back the most.
Overview: ***/5
A generally cheesy and enjoyable genre effort, this one is pretty much par for the course in the style depicted here even with some big issues featured to knock it down. Those who have an affinity for this kind of cheesy creature feature or are fans of the creative crew will have a lot to like here while most others out there who aren’t into either of those factors should heed caution.
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