The Odds

Money, the key to make life easier. With money you can basically do anything you want, especially if you happen to have a lot of it. Of course there is always a risk with lots of money, you have to know how to handle it in a clever way. I am in no way a rich guy, just an ordinary worker. But i do know what i would do, if i did win millions in the lottery. I would build up an amusement park know as Dolph World. What is this amusement park ? Very easy, everything here would be a tribute to the greatest Swedish actor or all eternity, known as Dolph Lundgren. Just imagine, going on the Universal Soldier rollercoaster ride, or how about being He-Man in Dolph style, or perhaps be the icnoic Ivan Drago for a day ? Dolph World should happen, this is the greatest idea ever. Really ? Yes, it really is. But what if you were given a chance, to have a lot of money if you did anything to get them, would you do it ? There are several films that have used this idea, in different combinations. And i suggest we talk about one specific title that actually turned out to work well. The 2016 film known as Nerve, used a modern take on technology and how far you would willing to go to play a game for money. Each player choose how far they are willing to go, even if it means they could die. Directed by Henry Joost, this is a thriller that shows a dark side of social media, and how especially young people can do anything to become famous. And it becomes pretty clear that whoever created this game, is not worried how many people could be killed. The cast of actress Emma Roberts and David Franco, actually felt like a great combination. If you enjoy modern thrillers, that brings up some of the problem with social media, then you should check Nerve out on DVD or Blu Ray. What if you had the chance to win a lot of money through a game, that is shown online for the whole world ? That might not sound so bad, until you find out that for each level you make, the more you have to be tortured. The Odds is an independent film i came across on VOD that looked interesting. With only a few actors, and this film seems to take place in one room, is The Odds an unexpected winner or should this film be thrown into the failed Lotto ticket bucket ?

In a secret room, a woman known as The Gambler ( Abbi Butler ) have agreed to play a game. If she survives she wins a lot of money that could change her life, and give her a chance to build up a relationship with her daughter. The rules are that for each round, she must survive different torture activities. Other players are playing the same game, and all Abbi needs to do is to be the one who survive each round. Game Master ( James J. Fuertes ) is making sure she is following the rules, and tries to be supportive. But can Abbi really go through the whole game? Is she mentally strong enough to handle this ?

It has been a while since i have seen a film that tries to go in a different direction than most thrillers. And this is why i find The Odds an interesting film, because you realize that anyone could be in this situation. Especially if you have lost all hope, and are willing to do anything to get money, no matter what it takes. The plot reminds me of some films, but still manage to tell a story in a way that works well with the characters. Let´s talk about the characters for a bit. Actress Abbi Butler ( who you might recognize from the Jeff Fahey film Country Line ) as the character The Player, gives us the strongest performance in this film. Her character is clearly willing to do anything, to win this game. Abbi manage to balance her acting in a professional way, and give her character a strong personality. It is hard to imagine what she must be going through. The second character known as Game Master, played by actor James J. Fuertes is clearly a sick individual. Even if his character is interesting, Abbi Butler steals the show through this film. The Odds is a different film from most gambling related stories, since this film tries to show a different kind of game. The psychological level is the strength of this film, when we see how The Player is forced to be tortured in many different ways to survive. One of the things i feel i would have liked to know more, is the background story of The Player, since we find out something happened in her past ( an event that affected her relationship with her daughter ). The length of The Odds may be a little bit long, but does not affect the quality of the film. Director Bob Giordano clearly wanted to tell a story, on how far we are willing to go if our mind is determined to reach the goal. He manage to do so, in a solid thriller ( with some horror influences ). The Odds is not a film for you who hate a lot of dialogue. But if you enjoy a film that does look different from most DVD releases, give this film a chance. The Odds will make you be more careful about gambling, and that is of course a good sign.

Rating: DDD