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Review: Tormented (2009)

posterI caught this on Chiller last night. I’d never seen it before so I thought I’d watch and review. Here’s my thoughts.

Tormented is written by Stephen Prentice and directed by Jon Wright. Cast members include Alex Pettyfer (Beastly, Magic Mike), April Pearson (“Skins”), Georgia King (“The New Normal”), Hugh Mitchell (Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets), Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean, Tuppence Middleton, Mary Nighy, Olly Alexander, James Floyd, and many more.

In Tormented, “A bullied teenager comes back from the dead to take revenge on his classmates.”

I can’t criticize Tormented for any technical aspects except for the obnoxious sound effects that blare whenever Darren materializes and moves to attach. It was weird and electronic and subtracted from any seriousness the scene could have had. Technically, the movie was well polished and a great representation of the talented team who put it together. A lot of the backdrops were fantastic, and the never ending, modern corridors of the high school were ever expanding. It was a great setting for a teen supernatural-slasher film. The effects were above average and the acting from every single cast member was good, too, but there was one huge problem with Tormented

Things kind of happened without reason. The script comes off more like a web-series linked into a movie instead of a cohesive feature film. The attack scenes happen out of no where, with no inkling as to why the victim was picked off at the time. There’s not a lot of character development taking place, so scenes are mostly used as building blocks to build time. Things just… kind of happened for no reason.

Luckily, one of the things I liked the most – and what the movie most succeeds on – is the thematic aspects. The clips of Darren being bullied are extremely realistic and are a good representation of what a number of teens go through all over the world. In this story, you’ll root for the killer more than his victims. Also, it was interesting to see how the bullies use their typical bratty behavior to try and escape death. It was like they became embodiments of their biggest faults right before they died. It goes to show that just because you play a part in a high school circle, that doesn’t mean it has to become all you really are. I may be reading into this way too much, but I really dug the underlying themes I had to look for as a viewer.

All in all, Tormented was pretty good. The only thing I can subtract points for is a lackluster script in some areas and obnoxious sound effects. The overall above average acting and special effects, the high production value, and the ability to feel for the killer and want him to succeed all makes up for the shortcomings. So, Tormented just about breaks even. I’m going to give it a 6 out of 10.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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