"Cruel World" is a thoroughly disappointing slasher without too much going for it.
**SPOILERS**
Arriving at a secluded mansion, Jenny, (Laura Ramsey) Bobby, (Andrew Keegan) Ashley, (Susan Ward) Mikko, (Nicole Bilderback) Ruby, (Sanoe Lake) Jack, (Joel Michaely) Collin, (Brian Geraghty) Gina, (Aimee Garcia) and Techno, (Nate Parker) learn they have been selected for a reality show to take place there, and set upon trying to form alliances between themselves. When the games start the next day, they immediately start to question the meaning and intent behind them, as they're not traditional reality show games. When it dawns on them that the losing contestants aren't been sent home but actually being murdered by the psychotic host, Philip Markham, (Edward Furlong) who is using the format to avenge his humiliation on an earlier reality show, and when the games get deadlier and their numbers dwindling, they try to get out of the situation alive.
The Good News: There was a few good points to this that did make it watchable. The games that are played, which are far removed from the normal kind of games on reality shows, are enjoyable for that reason. From the trapped-in-a-coffin one, which is inherently creepy and a lot of fun, to the sword-fight and the balancing act game, this one has a ton of fun games that they play and are responsible for most of the fun parts during the film. Even some of the crazier ones, from the race around the house wearing prison outfits and a gigantic ball-and-chain around their ankles or a midnight paint-ball fight, without really showing anything too graphic, are somewhat fun just because they, like the others, have no real point to being here but provide some fun nonetheless. It's also a lot easier to get into them since they do manage to take up the majority of the film's running time, almost to the point of exclusively all else, and the fact that they have such a high priority is a great factor. The deaths we get in here, while not at all that graphic, do provide the basis for a really decent body count, as there's an impaling with a sword through the stomach, a decapitation, an arm lopped off, a slit throat and several thrown into a pool and drowned, which are a lot better than they sound but still don't have a whole lot of normal slasher goodness to them. The last plus here is the fun finale, which is an extended chase through the house and adjoining grounds which make for a couple thrilling mini-chases, a great death and some other surprises. All these here are what make the film entertaining.
The Bad News: There was a couple really severe flaws to this one that hold it down. One of the biggest, and perhaps the single most egregious one to be had, is the fact that this one features a killer that is so lazy he can't be bothered to get his hands dirty and do the actual work himself. Despite appearing clearly as the mastermind behind the whole situation, which is really quite easy to see, the fact remains that he spends the majority of the time hiding out in a control room smoking and barking orders at everyone, from his henchman or to the contestants, and really only has a direct hand in one of the deaths, which is done through a gunshot no less. Granted, there's two earlier ones but still, the bulk of the kills, which is the contestants, is handled by a henchman, making it appear as if the killer is too good and mighty to get down to business when it counts, and that makes it quite easy to be completely unafraid of the killer when he acts like that. It's also not hard to do that when it's clearly visible that the women are much more physically intimidating than he is, as the few times he gets to interact with them the women are shown to not be that much smaller, merely inches, than he is, and these just do wonders for the credibility of the killer in here. Another big factor to this one is the fact that the games on here don't make much sense. Granted, they're fun to watch, but as the characters rightly point out, there's no rhyme or reason to what they're doing, which is just more confusing when it's never once brought up as to what he's trying to do here. Strictly seeking revenge for the humiliation should've ended with the early kills with no reason to go after the ones here for the show, yet nothing comes out as to what the purpose of the events here mean. The last flaw to this one is the fact that there's so much censoring going on it really sticks out in here. The constant teasing of the nudity gets really old, especially when he comments on it from the monitors but doesn't show it. From the proposed lesbian experience in the hot-tub, which shows them running off pulling off their shirts, cuts to his comment then back to show them already in there covered up is a big tease, and a shot of them topless sunbathing is again commented upon rather than shown, and there's also the film's tame kills to count towards that as well. These here are the film's real problems.
The Final Verdict: Not a whole lot really going on for this one, as there's just too much going against it for the few positives to really stick out. Really only give this one a shot if you're into the reality-TV slashers or a fan of the creative side, otherwise this is best to be avoided or approached with extreme caution.
Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence
