Movie Review: Chain Letter (2010)

Article first published as Movie Review: Chain Letter (2010) on Blogcritics.


The success of the Saw series, especially the resurrection of the franchise after Saw 3D, has caused many movie makers to follow in its footsteps. 2010 saw a very well made film called The Tortured and another social thriller called Chain Letter.

Chain Letter addresses the issue of man's over-dependence on technology in the most scariest of ways. It showcases how we have linked ourselves to IDs and numbers, making us traceable and vulnerable.
The film revolves around a group of IT students in am esteemed IT institute who receive a chain letter warning them that if they do not forward it the break of chain would result in the loss of a life. As they are killed one by one and in gruesome ways the viewer realizes how he himself is in reach of any random psychopath searching twitter or Facebook for his next victim! With the premise being close to reality and the events ahead being relevant to all of us the Chain Letter is a chilling experience to say the least.
Chain Letter is rushed in places and that is perhaps the only turn-off. Some of the killings are abrupt and the chain messaging is not tracked in appropriate detail. The historic references to cults and anti-tech groups are also muffled up and are not properly linked to the story. In the end, one really do not understand if it was a single serial killer or a systematic sect doing the killings. The cast comprising Nikki Reed and Keith David etc. has acted average and there is nothing too special to write home about in that regards.

All in all Chain Letter is a thought provoking effort but lacks the technical credentials of an utterly enjoyable movie. I rate it 3/5 mainly because of the content and not the treatment.