Would You Rather (film)

Would You Rather is a 2012 American psychological horror thriller film directed by David Guy Levy and starring Brittany Snow and Jeffrey Combs. It is based on the party game "would you rather", and centers on a woman named Iris as she attends a dinner party, where she must partake in life-threatening games to help her sick younger brother secure a donor after he contracts leukaemia. The film premiered at Screamfest on October 14, 2012. It was released in the United States in select theaters and through video on demand on February 8, 2013, by IFC Midnight.

Plot
Iris is a young woman who is desperately trying to find a way to afford her brother Raleigh's leukemia treatment. Their oncologist, Dr. Barden, introduces Iris to Shepard Lambrick, a wealthy philanthropist who offers her a deal. If she wins a dangerous game at a dinner party hosted by Shepard, he will pay for Raleigh's treatment and use his foundation's influence to find a bone marrow donor.

At the dinner party, Iris meets the other contestants: Julian, Shepard's son; Lucas; Travis, a war veteran; Linda, a paralyzed elderly woman; Peter, a gambling addict; Amy; Conway, an alcoholic debtor; and Cal. Shepard tries to test their principles by offering money for compromising choices. Iris reluctantly accepts $10,000 to eat meat despite being a vegetarian, and Conway accepts $50,000 to drink a decanter of Scotch as a recovering alcoholic.

Once dinner is over, Shepard reveals that the game is a deadly version of "would you rather." The contestants must make difficult choices, and the last person standing will win. Conway tries to leave but is shot dead by Bevans, Shepard's butler, demonstrating the seriousness of the game. The first round involves an electric shock machine, and no one is eliminated.

Tensions rise, particularly between Travis and Julian, as the second round begins. Each player must choose to stab the person next to them with an ice pick or whip Travis with a sjambok. Iris and Lucas choose to whip Travis out of fear, while Peter stabs Linda, resulting in her death. Amy stabs Iris, but she survives thanks to Lucas's intervention. Cal then whips Travis until he is incapacitated and removed from the game.

Amidst the chaos, Lucas creates a distraction, and everyone except Amy attempts to escape. Cal is shot and killed during the escape attempt. Julian tries to rape Iris but is stabbed by her. Dr. Barden, having regretted his decision to involve Iris, tries to save her but is killed by Bevans. Iris is brought back to the game, and Shepard apologizes for his son's behavior.

The third round presents a choice between being submerged underwater for two minutes or picking a task from a card. Peter's card leads to his death from a heart attack caused by an explosive firecracker. Lucas slits his own eyeball as required by his card but survives. Iris chooses the barrel and survives, while Amy, who witnessed her husband drown their daughter, pulls a card that doubles the required time to four minutes submerged underwater, and is forced into the barrel and drowns after not getting a chance to take a deep breath first.

In the final round, only Iris and Lucas remain. Iris is given the choice to kill Lucas and win the game or spare him, resulting in no reward for either of them. After hesitation, Iris shoots Lucas, winning the game. Shepard declares her the champion, providing her with a bag of money to cover Raleigh's treatment and more. He reveals that a bone marrow donor has already been found for Raleigh in Romania.

However, upon returning home, Iris discovers that Raleigh has committed suicide, feeling like a burden. She realizes that the horrific acts she committed to win the money were all in vain. Overwhelmed with despair, Iris cries for the loss of her brother and the meaningless nature of her victory.

Production
Principal photography on Would You Rather began in July 2011. It was filmed on location in Pasadena, Woodland Hills, and Los Angeles, California.

Reception
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 59% of 22 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 5.17/10. The consensus reads, "Though restrained by most torture porn standards, Would You Rather brilliant premise is ultimately harmed by its tendency towards blood and guts." Metacritic rated it 20 out of 100, based on 11 reviews.