From the director of The Midnight Meat Train and the anthology, Nightmare Cinema comes a fresh offering that promises a gore fest and delivers at every turn. The Price we Pay is a not-so-gentle reminder of why seeking shelter and refuge in remote farmhouses is always a bad idea.
The Price we Pay – Storyline
After a blundered pawn shop robbery ends in two deaths, a trio of criminals take a bystander hostage and force her to take the place of their getaway driver (that got away a little too quickly after hearing gunshots) and getting in her car, demand that she drives them away.
As this is a horror movie, the inevitable happens and the car breaks down far away from any signs of life, apart from a nearby farmhouse. Predictably, the group head to the homestead with views to seek shelter and administer medical care to one of their wounded. Equally as predictably, the farmhouse is home to a crazed, monstrous family – who would have thought?
Body Harvesting is the Order of the Day in The Price we Pay
After each of the group members are picked off one by one with a tranquilizer rifle, they wake to find themselves strapped and bound to metal gurneys. After being left for a while to bathe in crippling fear, one of their captors reveals himself and explains what’s in store for the ‘scum’ they have caught.
The group are being prepared for the harvesting of their organs and their new friends aren’t going to give them the luxury of death first.
The Price we Pay Relies way too Much on Gore
While, of course, we’re not averse to a bit of gore here at Horrify, we do enjoy a good story. The Price we Pay, however, has no real storyline to get caught up in; we’ve seen more complicated narratives in episodes of Spongebob Squarepants. It seems as though the director, Ryuhei Kitamura, just wanted a reason to produce a blood bath and completely skipped the core elements of any good movie: good characters, a good story, and a twist, to pack in as much gratuitous gore as possible into 85-minutes.
There are many that would still enjoy The Price we Pay, but anyone reading this seeking a movie that will immerse them in a riveting story should steer way clear.
Red Paint Blood and Gaping Holes
As The Price we Pay relies so heavily on blood and guts, it would have been nice if they had put a little more effort into the special effects. While some of the scenes are pretty gruesome, the ‘blood’ they use looks like nothing more than red paint, and, to add insult to injury, it’s even in the wrong shade of red.
Also, the movie exposes itself as a rushed job with frequency. One example that comes to mind is when two of the prisoners are blocking a metal door with their bodies. This is all well and good if it wasn’t for the fact that the entity on the other side was wielding a cattle prod. In reality, one tap on the door with this, and there wouldn’t have been any need for the five minutes of shoulder barging.
The Price we Pay – Summary
There’s no denying that The Price we Pay is an enjoyable movie, but don’t expect too much in any area other than mindless gore. It’s a low-rate B-movie with very little substance to it. However, gore lovers rejoice, this one’s for you.
With a runtime of just 85-minutes, The Price we Pay is a pacey gorefest and certainly worth the time.
