The horror here is very much conceptual, and the basic premise is an interesting one – just how could the information you share online be used against you? Admittedly, it is an idea that is increasingly well-trodden in modern horror movies, but it is nevertheless effective. ‘Panic Button’ is not a film in which scares abound in fact, I didn’t count a single jump in its 90 (ish) minute run time. However, these two are established very early on as the support, and from the opening five minutes it is obvious which characters will be butting heads as story unfolds. Both struggle gamely with the wafer-thin characters they are given Rhys especially becomes irritatingly whiny and annoying as the plot barrels along. Less impressive are Clive Owen lookalike Jack Gordon as Max, and Elen Rhys as Gwen. Standouts are Michael Jibson who imbues Dave with an air of self-aggrandising creepiness and credibility when things turn violent, and from Scarlett Alice Johnson as lead girl Jo, who is convincingly vulnerable and desperate, and who does a good job of grounding the film’s crazier moments. The cast is primarily made up of well-known British small-screen faces, although the performances are somewhat mixed. It soon becomes clear, however, that the game is not as innocent as it appears, and that more than prizes are at stake… Once on board they (somewhat predictably) give up their mobile phones and, once in flight, take part in a quiz based on their online lives. It’s a shame because the idea is solid & for 55-60 minutes, Panic Button is interesting & exciting.The story revolves around four people who win an all-expenses paid trip by private jet to New York through social networking site (a clear stand-in for Facebook). The ending has a big reveal that ends up raising way more questions than it should & the final scene is laughably stupid. A horrible seduction scene is made even more stupid as one of the characters has a pretty large wound on his chest but instantly goes for the heavy petting. Logic begins to drift away with the ‘do or die’ part of the game. Potentially adding even more tension to the pretty dire situation. It would have been better to see the characters having to answer questions truthfully & quickly to try & save the victims. The POV imagery of brutal attacks on the foursomes’ friends & family doesn’t have the impact it could have as they just pop as a punishment & are over quickly. Panic Button begins to lose its way in the last 30 minutes or so, dropping the tension & replacing it with boorish attempts at shock. This could have been handled better though as the same childish reactions to anything sex related just makes you roll your eyes. The early scenes feel really awkward as the group really don’t know each other & don’t like having personal things about themselves revealed. The cast do well with Michael Jibson & Elen Rhys standing out as the best. Deep down we all know that we should be more careful online but often just dismiss it as we’re just one person in world wide web of billions. The ‘be careful of what you post online’ story isn’t necessarily new but Panic Button approaches it in an interesting & fresh way. It’s exciting to see them unravel when faced with exactly what they’ve done on the internet. The tension felt as the characters attempt to lie their way out of awkward questions is intense. The cast are interesting, the set-up simple & it doesn’t hang about. Trapped at 30,000 feet, they are forced to play for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It soon becomes clear to the four ‘winners’ that this is no ordinary game. That person’s profile you’ve been looking at daily? those secret websites you like to visit? those videos that turn you on? It’s all there if you know where to look. Play or risk forfeiting potential prizes, the group are happy to play along until things start to get really personal. Once aboard the private jet the four get to know each before their host, an animated alligator informs them that they will be taking part in a new online gaming experience. All courtesy of the social-networking website,. Directed by Chris Crow & starring Scarlett Alice Johnson, Jack Gordon, Michael Jibson and Elen Rhys.Ī tense & cautionary tale about the dangers of social media, Panic Button sees four people win the trip of a lifetime to New York. Originally released in 2011, British cyber-horror Panic Button gets a remastered launch on DVD & Download from October 23, 2017.
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