Death Bell (2008)

Updated: Aug 3, 2021

GENERAL

The Breakdown: A group of students stay behind after their final exams and find themselves being tormented by an unknown assailant who forces them to solve puzzles.

Watch If: You like the first Saw film but thought the others were contrived.

Not If: You Need Excessive gore to enjoy your horror.

Similar To: Saw

SECONDARY FACTS

Overall Rating: 3.6

Length: 1:28

Country: South Korea

Language: Korean

Scare Factor: 2/5

Gore Factor: 3/5

Related Media: Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp

REVIEW

THE QUICK AND DIRTY

It's a fun alternative to the original Saw film.

PREMISE: 4

Who doesn't love the concept of having to solve puzzles or watch people you care about die terribly? It's a premise that has been touched on time and time again, but something about the execution of the story in Death Bell is just... Special. It doesn't strive for convoluted or complex set-up. The story is straight forward and engaging, and sets up the film to capture its audience through execution rather than sequence of events.

ACTING: 4

It's one thing to look terrified, it's another thing to act like you're trying to be brave but you're actually terrified. While some of the performances in Death Bell fall flat, the main characters, or rather, the actors who portray them really shine in a few spots. It's difficult to take some of the scenarios presented in this film and not make it into a ham-fisted scream fest, but somehow, the cast of this one did an excellent job of keeping it real without stealing the light from the film itself.

VISUALS: 3

The gore in this one is interesting without being overwhelming. It delivers its visual angst, as most late 2000's films do, via brief flashes of segmented scenes. It's well done, but nothing to write home about.

ATMOSPHERE: 4

There's an air of futility to this film that really solidifies the audience engagement in a way that most films don't do. It's brutal in it's unraveling, and while it has a bit of a pacing problem towards the middle, it does a good job of giving you just enough information to keep the mystery going without spoiling it.

DELIVERY: 3

Is it dated? A bit, yes, but over all Death Bell is an entertaining little flick that's definitely worth the watch. The kills are entertaining and the lore expansion is interesting and engaging. If you like the "puzzle for life" predicament idea, then this film definitely deserves a spot on that list.