Two socially awkward teenage girls, are bored one night and turn to the internet for scary stories. They find a game on a creepy website that claims you can use your phone to summon the supernatural…and if you lose the game…you lose your life.
Over the years moviegoers have enjoyed horror/thriller films when a person watches or performs a ritual that puts a short timeframe for their death. 47 Hours has the same premise, but the story, horror, thrills, and heart stopping scares makes this film stand out. One of the best qualities of the film are the two main characters Cadence and Rose who are very likable and keep the audience engaged throughout.
One of 47 Hours producers is esteemed veteran Andrew Stevens, who has produced and appeared in hundreds of films and series over the last several decades. Stevens knows a good story when he sees one and the 47 Hours screenplay intrigued him. “’47 Hours’ is a post millennial, female-driven, psychological thriller with horror elements that keep the audience weighing whether or not the jeopardy the girls face is real or all in their minds,” shares Stevens. “It reminds me of a cult film I made as an actor in the 70’s called, ‘The Massacre at Central High.’ They both illustrate the social hierarchies, mean girls, and bullying that exist in American high school environments. In both films, the kids speak with realistic teen language and vernacular, and the bullies get their comeuppance. 47 Hours is a blend of 2 very successful Netflix series, sort of a ‘13 Reasons Why’ meets ‘Stranger Things’.
In the opening scene Cadence (Allie Marie Evans) is driving while taking selfies. She narrowly avoids getting into an accident, but seconds later the car next to her is rammed from behind. Suddenly a guy runs up to her car and frantically pounds on her car screaming for her to give him her phone. She quickly leaves and the man is run over by another vehicle. It’s evident that the phone and death are linked making you curious how and why.
Later while still driving is distracted by selfies and texting and nearly runs into Rose (Annie Hamilton) who is helping her parents unload a moving truck. The next day at school the two bump into each other and Cadence in a bit of a tough girl way friend’s Rose. By the comments thrown at Cadence from other classmates and even teachers, she’s not well respected and looked down upon at the school. Her bringing Rose in the washroom and lighting up a cigarette and Rose seeing Cadence’s self inflicted slashes on her upper leg which she quickly hides, doesn’t exactly help her case.
Despite Cadences reputation, you can tell she is a good person and will be a good friend and trustworthy. She just needs a friend that will give her a chance and not hold her scarred history over her head. On the flip side, Rose is the new girl in town and can use a friend to show her around. Rose is a quiet, nice, smart girl, and when situations arise she’s the one that’s on top of things.
47 Hours was Directed by Patrick Johnson who also directed the popular comedy The High Schoolers Guide to College Parties. During the many intense, chilling, and shocking moments throughout the film, Johnson did an excellent job with his cinematographer, camera crew, editor and composer to have the audience at the edge of seats with a dangerously high heart rate.
Back to the film. Now with Cadence and Rose building a friendship one day while hanging out Cadence wants to watch a horror film and Rose says there are no scary ones out there. So, Cadence goes to the internet to find something scary and comes across an iPhone game where you can summon spirits. The games played by setting the photo timer to ten seconds and say an evil verse and pass the phone to the other person and repeat until the photo is snapped and whoever the picture takes is the loser. Rose is hesitant despite saying she doesn’t believe it, so she goes along with the game and she ends up losing. Cadence forgot the minor details to see what happens to the loser before playing and then reads that the loser will die within 47 hours.
Rose the first night after playing the game encounters strange incidences and is starting to believe the game is real. A non believing Cadence then offers to play again until she loses and the so-called curse will be off Rose. As anticipated, Cadence then starts having scary experiences, starting off with a terrifying moment while she’s working at the drive in.
It’s not long before even Cadence is starting to wonder about the game. Rose is determined to figure out the game and needs Cadence’s help. While at a party that Cadence made Rose go to if she wants her help, Rose meets Justin and a drunk Cadence plays the game with Justin and passes the curse on to him. Tensions rise when others who played the game, one being Justin’s sister, start to die. The girls have to save Justin and doing so they put themselves back into harms way. To keep the 47 hours from being reached the two flip flop playing the game which temporarily changes who is supposed to die.
The curiosity wondering how the girls will save themselves has increased. Especially knowing that they don’t have the selfless heart to pass the curse on to someone else just to save themselves. With limited time they pay a visit to the Spider’s Web horror website where they initially found the game to begin their investigation. Will they get to the bottom of the horror and stop it before one of them dies?
During their pursuit they have some insane and terrifying encounters including some who have played the game for years and have done the back and forth passing the curse between them and after meeting them, it’s obvious that’s not the ideal solution for Rose and Cadence. Time is just about up and the final scenes and climax are extremely intense with an unexpected ending.
The team of writers did a great job with the story and structure. In the first ten minutes everything is set up, the plot, the characters, the dilemma, the protagonists and antagonists, and done in an intriguing way that has you wanting more and to learn more about Cadence and Rose.
You won’t have to wait long as 47 Hours will be released theatrically on October 4th.
