13 Sins

2014

Directed By Daniel Stamm

We've all had that conversation with our friends, the one where you ask each other what you would do for x amount of dollars. The one where you explore how much would it take for you to do that cruel thing or that gross thing. The strange thing about that conversation is it assumes that we all have a price. The only question is, what is that price?

13 Sins introduces us to Elliot Brindle (Mark Webber) a man buried in student debt with a mentally challenged brother (Devon Graye) a pregnant fiancee (Rutina Wesley) and a father (Tom Bower) who is about to be kicked out of his assisted living facility. Did I mention Elliot is fired in the opening scene of the film? At this point the sympathy has been pretty well loaded for our protagonist.

It easy to put yourself in Elliot Brindles shoes. Most people have undergone financial worries and stress. If you have never dodged a call from a creditor you were far more responsible in your 20s than I was. Financial agony is brutal. It takes over your life. It's the kind of dread that is always on your mind. You got yourself into the mess and only you can get yourself out of it. Then you get a phone call, a man tells you that he will give you $1000 if you kill the fly that is buzzing around in your car. You are being watched. Do you kill the fly? I can only speak for myself when I say yes of course I would kill that fly. Then you get a text message from your bank alerting you that the $1000 has in fact been deposited into your account. When you get the next phone call the rules of the game are explained. You will be given 13 tasks, one of which you have already done and you will have 36 hours to complete them all. Oh yeah and if you finish all 13 tasks you will be a millionaire several times over. Do you do it? Do you take control of your destiny?

This movie is a lot of fun. It's a blast to put yourself in each scenario that Elliot finds himself in and ask if you would continue? Don't try to be smarter than the movie because chances are that you are in fact smarter than it. That's not the point of this one. Just unwind and put your feet up, have fun with it. If you try to out think it or over analyze the plot you'll probably be pulled out of the film and deny yourself an enjoyable evening on the couch.

13 Sins is available on VOD and for rent through Netflix Subscription and Redbox