Introduction

Mine Games is a pretty awesome horror film that requires attention to detail by the audience to fully understand the progression of the story and identify key facts throughout.

Film Information

Director: Richard Gray

Actors (Top Billed): Briana Evigan, Joseph Cross, Julianna Guill

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Length: 92 Minutes

Horror Rating: 9/10

Mystery Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

IMDB Listing

The Story

Mine Games is a story about a group of teenagers going to the woods for some sort of end of school party. The story itself isn't strong out of the gates, which is probably why it never became very big in the box office. However it is an excellant, although very over used, base to a creepy horror story with a twist.

The general rundown of what the story entails is as follows (some spoilers!);

A group of teenagers travel out to meet their friends in the woods in what appears to be their vacation home. On their way there, they have a small accident causing their van to run out of gasoline and stop on the side of the road. From there, they choose to walk the rest of the way to the house where their friends are waiting.

Upon arrival, they find that their friends aren't there but rather have gone out and will be 'back soon'. They start to settle in and get into the party mood just as things begin to happen. A knock on the door, the lights beginning to fail. The normal stuff. Everything seems to go off without a hitch and everything is just dandy.

Following their party night, a couple of guys for a jog and discover a mine. As always happens in these movies, they feel it a good idea to explore, so they head back, grab the gang and head in. A mixture of alcohol and drugs causes some freak outs and shit begins to hit the fan. A practical joke goes wrong, a key to the story, but everything is resolved and they head back to the cabin where one of the 7 friends is having a post-freakout freakout.

As the story progresses, she gets sicker and sicker, and things take a major turn for the worse when they discover bodies in the mine. (This is one spoiler I'm not giving you!) This leads to major mistrust within the group causing an implosion before the killer decides to make his or her move. Then the story loops back on itself... You're going to have to watch it!

The Mystery

This movie leaves a few questions at the end like 'how did the cycle start?' which never get explained. Having said that the story ties itself up nicely explaining most of your questions throughout, although some just never make sense.

The writers keep you guessing as to what is going to happen next, is someone going to die, is something going to jump out and try to hunt them down? The true definition of a mystery. Although I classify it as a horror, it certainly doesn't play to the stereotypical horror sequences.

The Horror

The movie is classified a horror/thriller due to its nature. It definitely holds more Mystery theme than it does horror. Having said that, it stands up as a strong horror, causing jump scares and chilling discoveries along the way. It keeps you on edge wondering what is going to happen, asking yourself if the writers snuck in that stereotypical jump scare or knife to the back/throat just as the music peaks.

I must say I strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys horrors, thrillers or mysteries. Hell you may even enjoy it if you like the touch of crime and paranormal.