Before you even enter the cinema, you have a fairly good idea in your head of what Tormented is not. It's not a critically acclaimed masterpiece with a cast-list of A-listers as long as your arm. It's not a film for the faint-hearted or those with weak stomachs and squeamish tendencies. It's not something you've never seen before and it's not particularly 'deep'. But that's all okay, because it isn't trying to be. The film embraces the black comedy/ horror genre; a good old British slasher flick with a sneaky underlying anti-bulling message. Perhaps then, that's what makes it so likable. It's not prestigious or pretentious, and it doesn't try and trick you into thinking it's anything you haven't seen before. You are more than welcome to make that decision for yourself. However those who write it off as merely another disposable gore-ridden horror are probably missing the entire concept of the film. The concept that perhaps earned this flick its meagre 15 certificate despite gore and guts galore. The message that is focused entirely around anti-bullying. Happy-slappers beware. Led by a hip and 'up and coming' cast of rising stars including Stormbreaker's home-grown heartthrob Alex Pettyfer, like you've never seen him before as ringleader Bradley; the arrogant jock who you love to hate. His antics are seconded only by his malicious girlfriend- Skins' April Pearson in full vain Queen Bee top form. The popular crowd are crude and terribly self-centred; amusingly ridiculous in their own special ways, leaving you rooting for the poor boy with whom they released their full terror-reign upon, and who is now back from the dead to wreak revenge in any number of excruciating methods imaginable. Welcome to Tormented. You'll laugh, cry, and just might possibly puke into your popcorn. Don't say we didn't warn you. Often "old-fashioned" horrors seem boring or generic to the myspace generation, but this is refreshing in its own right. Any modern-day filmmaker writing a teenage-based movie must realise they are competing with mobile phones for the audience's attention, even in the cinema. Well then, why not use against the characters the very things all of us have in our pockets? The technology itself being used as a weapon is rife throughout the film, succeeding in winning the viewers full attention, if only for a few minutes at a time. Tormented is indeed what would be unleashed upon the world if you mixed Skins with Scream or Friday 13th
Self-obsessed, angst-ridden teenagers being picked off one by one. As the film continues, and the bullies are getting what they deserve in stomach-churning ways, you begin to wonder that, if they do deserve this fate, then who is the real monster in this? The scorned, rejected undead victim who is 'getting his own back'
Or the cruel and intimidating bullies themselves, forcing the latter into a hell he can't escape. Although the zombie Darren Mullet is the obvious choice for horror villain, if the perspectives are rearranged, is he really the one to fear? This conclusion is only reached if you think about it, and it's possible to choose not to and accept it all simply on face value; a winner for those who watch to analyse, and ones who don't. Every teenage flick should have the typical 'good girl gone bad', and this one is no exception. Adventurously named Tuppence Middleton eases into this role and somehow between gore scenes, the writers find time to fit in a potential clichéd romance between her character Justine and Dimitri Leonidas' shady bystander character Alexis. Fighting through all of the horror and deaths, a blossoming dating scenario ensues between these two lovebirds
Only to be thwarted by the sinister James-Corden-alike, who also had a crush on Jus... who knew prefects were so sought after amongst the undead?! Whilst he wreaks righteous havoc and revenge everywhere else, you find yourself wishing he'd just leave those two alone long enough for some sort of relationship to fully have chance to flourish. Evidently, like so many tragedies, this is not to be. Tormented is at first just a blood-laced slasher film, but at second glance an original take on the issues of teenage life. Interspersing the genuine scenarios of school cliques, wild parties, sex and bullying with a more sinister horror backdrop... So that if you're between 15 and 20 and don't wanna have to think too hard, want to make out with your significant other in the back row, or just fancy something to giggle and gasp at without much of a plot, then Tormented is for you. Often the dialogue seems a bit too much like the writers are trying too hard to make it 'teenage', as all the more posh and middle class kids utter overly-enunciated common slang in respectable accents
Well-spoken slang? Surely a bit of an oxymoron. This sometimes veers from laughable to completely cringeable, and although it could be argued that it was meant to sound odd or out-of-place in order to be satirical, that isn't always so apparent. Poking fun at the cliques and clichés of high school with emo puns and believable characters, Tormented is a film that has a little bit of everything; horror, comedy, romance and a serious message beneath all the far-fetched shenanigans. How effective these aspects are when used all at once is debatable, and the obviously fake blood and somewhat low-budget gore scenes leave something to be desired. But overall it does its job well, and that is to shock and involve its teenage audience through whatever means necessary. Hopefully this achieved its purpose and the majority of viewers left the cinema thinking twice about bullying and its consequences. Enjoyable- although corny in parts- it is worth a watch for teenagers who like a laugh alongside some gore. I did like it, and for what it is it's more than watchable and easy to understand and identify with.
Review of Tormented
