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Truth or Dare

3/10

Stars: Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane, Landon Liboiron

Director: Jeff Wadlow

A teen slasher movie with lots of teens but, as you'll gather from the certificate, not much slashing - or, for that matter, credibility.

Seven college friends set out on their last spring break together. One of them, Olivia (Hale, having no problem passing for teenage despite pushing 30 in real life, but quacking her way unattractively through her role) has to be cajoled into coming, so we gather she's the main protagonist.

Off to Mexico, they're taken under the wing of local barfly Carter (Liboiron), who organises a game of truth or dare at a spooky location. Only this one, passed down from one unfortunate victim to another, is lethal. The truths are inevitably confrontational, while failure to carry out a dare (like breaking someone's hand, or a simple homicide) results in the death of the refuser. And only two truths are allowed before a dare.

It's all performed by rote by a doomed cast, of whom only Beane (perhaps she should change that name) would seem to have a genuine shot at stardom. As for the rest, it's hard to care, as, each time, one of their friends assumes an evil clown's face and utters the inevitable 'Truth or dare?

David Quinlan

USA 2018. UK Distributor: Universal. Colour by deluxe.
101 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 12 Apr 2018