Chill: The Killing Games (2013) Reviews

• My Review Of "Chill"

  ASouthernHorrorFan2014-12-26

  The story revolves around the tragic deaths of a group of college students found dead after participating in a role playing game called "Chill". The original horror took place in 1988, and our film picks up as a new group decide to revive the game on the anniversary. First, the object of Chill (the game) is for everyone to draw a slip of paper from a jar after a séance kicks things off. One will be the killer and the others will run and hide. No one knows who the rest are, killer or victim-in-waiting. I have to say I love this game idea. It brings back a feeling I got from watching a little known 80's role playing horror film titled "Tag: The Assassination Game". Now the main plot to "Chill" (the movie) has a new group of students playing the game on the anniversary, falling victim to a very real killer, and refueling the horror that plagues the community surrounding the college. There are some slightly weak moments in the story arch, during some of the dialog that solidifies the story feel contrived and not as convincing as other aspects of the story arc. It gets shaky at times, but lets face it, the concept is a gamble. It requires an acceptance of fancy and more whimsical notions of horror story telling-much as nearly every horror film in the 80's demanded. Which is the exact feel and style that "Chill" is going for in this tale. The special effects and masked killer design is key, shining moments for "Chill". The horror elements are dark, homages to classic horror, and very effective. The quality is a step above the low budget quality of the dramatic aspects that counter this movie's theme. There is plenty of bloodshed, gore, and dark shadowing settings to really show the passion of the film makers for horror. Oh and most importantly- the scenes work. Due to cleverly crafted choices and camera angles the kill/death scenes stand out in "Chill" as quality moments. The killer is masked, hardly scene, until it is too late, intimidating and apparition like. The Dark Ages style of macaw mask and garb reminiscent of plague doctors make for a great horror movie slasher. "Chill" does have some sound quality issues in scenes that are at the mercy of the crews elements. The mic picks up air and echos in some scenes, not totally overpowering the dialog but it is noticeable, The sound quality issues are 50/50 in the film, there are some nice moments when the crew has control, allowing for some decent character interaction and humorous one-liner moments. Some actors are more comfortable on screen than others, giving stronger performances, but the atmosphere and build-up of suspense never completely faulters in "Chill". The music score and soundtrack are nice, and the sound quality stays intact in that respect. The score is a mix of classic giallo and American splatter films of the 80's. "Chill" isn't gonna be a film that everyone will enjoy, but indie and micro-budget fans will see the quality moments as true, honest horror that works. The pace is a bit clunky at the beginning of the film, but within 20-25 minutes things pick up and "Chill" moves more like a slasher film should. Overall, the story creates a nice contemporary horror tale that begs of urban legend. The kills and gore show true talent and passion for horror, and the killer is captivating. The ending is a nice surprise ending that really caught me off guard. Very reminiscent of Argento's style of ending a story. "Chill" has some flaws but there is enough of a good horror film here to warrant seeing the film.

• Solid Indie Slasher with great cast

  gongaa802015-02-22

  I recently watched this slasher/murder mystery film and it was quit the refreshing experience. First, the acting was superb! Roger Conners was perfect for the role as the "final girl/scream queen". His character was well developed and gave viewers a new character worth rooting for! Noelle Bye and Meredith Holland, along with Roger Conners, wrote a great story that took viewers along for an unconventional treat. The highlights of the film were the following- * great setting, a performing arts building after dark! This echoed other great slasher films, like The Clown at Midnight and Stage Fright (to name a few) * great cast, every character had their uniqueness and charisma that they brought to the role, which made this indie movie rise above others! * cinematography, creative shots with some inventive storytelling kept this movie interesting right from the beginning. * carnage, the movie had a rather high bodycount and at times was brutal. This was all practical effects, no awkward cgi included. * ending, pulled together nicely despite killing off some fan favorite characters. I would highly recommend viewing this when you can, I believe later in 2015 a DVD will be released! Definitely a recommendation to fans of slasher movies, particularly the 80's/90's aficionados!

• It's no wonder "Chill" has received so much HOT attention

  tiffani-hilton72015-01-15

  When you have an independent style horror film most people go in thinking , "yeah, this is going to be rough". The good news is that "Chill" delivers! The premise is one that keeps the viewer guessing in a constant "who-dun-it" motion and changing gears just at the moment we think we have it figured out. The camera work and dialogue deserve some praise as well. Many times in indie film the dialogue seems to be forced and unnatural. In "Chill" it sounds like a bunch of college friends are going through a typical day-which is exactly the point. A personal favorite cinematic moment was the opening credits as we follow Kyle's hat through the campus. There was something old school yet creepy about just watching someone go throughout their day unaware of the horrors ahead. Although there were a few strong performances, a lot of the actors felt a bit green. This is not to say bad: but when you're up against bigger guns, the smaller ones really stand out. "Chill" does begin a little slow, but as soon as we hit the opening credits it takes flight and finds it's roll. This is one not to miss. Go in with an open mind and passion for indie thriller and you'll leave with your jaw hitting the floor asking for more.

• An excellent homage to classic slashers.

  t-govannon2015-03-04

  I have been watching horror movies for a long time. I started with classic horror in the 70's, and then relished the golden age of the slasher in the 1980's. I've seen so many horror movies, actually, that the vast majority of the modern ones bore me... endless torture porn, poor reboots of classics, and insipid writing have left me as cold towards modern horror as a corpse. Chill: The Killing Games, however, is different. An homage to the classic horror slashers of the 80's, Chill gets all of the elements right... great characters, a killer (no pun intended) premise, and genuine suspense combine to create a horror film actually WORTH SEEING. The plot is pretty straightforward (which is a plus, because plots that bend over backwards to be "edgy" or "twisted" often come across as lame): Chill is a popular role-playing game played in a small Ohio town. Everyone draws roles at the beginning of the game, and one person is chosen to be the "killer". The rest are their potential "victims". The killer then uses toy weapons to "get" the others, and anyone who survives the night is the winner. One night in the 1980's, however, people actually died playing the game, and so it went unplayed for years. All of this changes when a group of students decide to revive the game... with deadly results. One thing this film succeeds at is making the viewer genuinely like the characters. Far too often, characters in these films are introduced just to increase the body count. However, the suspense factor is heightened when one genuinely likes the characters (one of the reasons that Friday the 13th Part IV is so well regarded is this very same thing). Special kudos go out to Roger Conners and Angelia DeLuca for creating likable, memorable characters. And Kelly Roger's goth chick is hilarious. Now, this film IS micro-budget, and it shows in spots... the audio is a bit uneven, and the soundtrack is a bit odd in spots. But DP/Co- Director Noelle Bye's cinematography is first-rate. Besides, I'd far rather watch a good film with a few technical flaws over a slick production that sucks overall. This Heathen Hippy says to check it out.

• A mish mash of old genre tropes

  Leofwine_draca2017-07-10

  CHILL: THE KILLING GAMES is an '80s-style throwback slasher movie in which a group of kids resurrect a once popular game to stream on the web, only to discover that somebody is taking it very seriously indeed and that person has murder in mind. What follows is a mish-mash of genre tropes, with over-earnest actors and a generally fake feeling to it. What sinks this one is that there are only one or two genuine horror scenes in it.