‘31’ is an adrenaline-fueled gore-fest horror with killer clowns and unlikable protagonists.
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The plot for Rob Zombie-directed ‘31’ is as simple as it sounds. On Halloween in 1976, five carnies were captured to play in a game called ‘31’ in which they had to survive for 12 hours. They have to survive against some Nazi-themed killer clowns: Sick-Head, Psycho-Head, Schizo-Head, Death-Head, Sex-Head, and finally Doom-Head. Predictably, the five managed to kill some of these crazy murderers although some of them died along the way. The last survivor is obviously Charly, the one played by the the director’s wife, Sheri Moon Zombie.
It starts with Doom-Head (Richard Brake) giving a chilling monologue to the camera, in the best scene of the entire film. We are then introduced to the main protagonists and their friends. This group of sleazy, obnoxious carnies is difficult to root for. Instead of spending the first scenes of the film relating to their personalities and relationships, I find myself annoyed by their behaviours. I did not find myself caring if they survive in the game.
There are intriguing puppet masters in the aristocrats (Malcolm McDowell, Judy Geeson, and Jane Carr), who periodically calculate and announce the odds of each of the five of surviving the game. Unfortunately, the motivations behind their annual torture-fest are never explored. The “Heads” who are asked to kill the five also often feel more like plot devices than characters, with the exception of Doom-Head.
In many ways, the film is a slasher horror and a torture porn. This film is rated R21 for its violence and gore. There is some nudity too, but the amount of blood, murders, and internal organs on the screen are the reasons for its rating. Those who want to see those will not be disappointed.
The cinematography is good, although the camera is often too shaky during chase scenes. It has nice play on colours and lighting. The carnival-themed set pieces are good too, although most of the action plays in a warehouse-like environment. The sound is well-employed for the scares without succumbing into overly cheap jump scares.
Overall, ‘31’ is an adrenaline-fueled gore-fest horror with killer clowns and unlikable protagonists. The acting and story are rather weak throughout, but many who wants to watch this film might not care too much about those. It certainly delivers on the gore and horror, if that is what you are looking for.
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