With a title like The Price We Pay, you might think the film has some higher moral standard, a drama with deep meaning and thought-provoking ideas. However, helmed by director Ryuhei Kitamura (of the grisly Midnight Meat Train), the film shifts all over the place, with varied results, leading to a very bloody but ultimately uneven result.
After a robbery at a pawn shop goes wrong, three criminals flee, taking a hostage with them, only to have their car break down in the middle of nowhere. They take refuge at a ranch but soon discover all is not what it seems, and things go from bad to worse in a hurry. Riding the coattails of From Dusk Till Dawn, the film tries to get the audience to care about the cast. Cody (Stephen Dorff) is an ex-ranger with some morals, while Alex (Emile Hirsch) is a wildcard, making him unpredictable at the best of times. Rounding out the main cast is Grace (Gigi Zumbado), who is the hostage and a victim of some terrible timing.
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The whole first act of the movie moves along pretty well. The botched robbery/car breaks down part of the story is nothing new, but at least they get where they are going, the ranch, sooner than later. This is where the film loses momentum, as too much time is wasted digging into characters’ backgrounds and trying to build relationships and camaraderie that isn’t necessary. We all know something is off at this point; it’s just a matter of what exactly that is.
Director Kitamura turns the whole story on its head for the final act. What is really going on at this ranch is revealed. The Doctor (played with sadistic glee by Vernon Wells) and his associates begin the blood bath, giving us a Hostel/Texas Chainsaw Massacre kind of vibe as people are subjected to gruesome, sick, and twisted acts, all in the name of some bizarre and twisted sense of revenge/cash grab. While some gruesome moments are familiar, some points in the film are fun as hell, including the final showdown, which will have horror fans smiling from ear to ear.
Unfortunately, much of the script consists of weak dialogue and laughable moments, and the film takes itself too seriously for too long. The pace, at times, crawls to a standstill, and the actors are forced to do some things that had me shaking my head.
It’s a shame, as the main cast was solid and executed their roles well. Zumbado was not your run-of-the-mill hostage, and the actors were committed to their roles. When the reins were taken off them, and they were allowed to enjoy the insanity of the plot, things worked much better.
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The Price We Pay is one of those films that, while very familiar at times in tone and story, still had a lot of potential to do something more interesting and bold, as the last act shows. Sadly, the brutal gore fest that wrapped up the film couldn’t save what preceded it from swimming in mediocrity and ridiculousness, making the final product a frustrating disappointment.
The Price We Pay is coming to select theaters on January 13th and VOD on January 10th via Lionsgate.
