Death Tube – Review

From the producers of a crazy film we reviewed last year that got banned entitled Grotesque, Death Tube follows Satoshi Inoue who visits a site named Death Tube, which delivers various videos involving murder. At a later date, he is placed under confinement in a room appearing on Death Tube. Guess what happens next? Yes, a horrible murder game begins. Similar to the Saw series of horror films, Death Tube shares with the world real footage of men and women trapped in small rooms and executed. So its half Saw, and half Faces of Death, for those keeping track at home.  The worst thing would be to wake up and find that you’re one of the contestants on the show. It offers a bizarre take on the Internet culture, and can actually be quite disturbing with its realism in some parts.

However, the film isn’t that good. The absurdity of the film is expanded by its failed attempt at humor and the twist (gasp!) feels obligatory rather than organic. In such an oversaturrated market, or perhaps I have an iron stomach for these kinds of films, Death Tube’s approach is unlikely to surprise or impress anyone.  And its exactly what you think, a group of individuals with no social life get hooked on watching a website showing death in real time. There is no subtext, hidden meaning or intellectual message, and the mascot is rather silly, making Jigsaw look like a champ.

At first they must all work together to get through the torment and survive but it soon becomes clear that only one can survive to take part in the final game. In this regard, much of the films second half is closer to one of those wacky Japanese game shows than anything else, just one where failure results in death. At best it could be a cult B-movie, which is unsurprising given how good the Japanese are at creating a sense of novelty.  Low production values and minimal scope brought to the narrative severely hold the film back.

Also, I am pretty sure YouTube is going to sue somebody as they completely stole their logo for the film. But unlike the Hollywood system, these film makers are not afraid to push the boundaries of taste and reality. This film was fun to watch at times and given the scenario that you’re drunk with a bunch of friends, this will result in a good time. Horror enthusiasts will be sure to be let down however, as the deaths are far and few in between with a long running time. The games are all overlooked by people wearing suits reminiscent of Pokemon. Not to mention, the characters are pretty dumb as at first she didn’t believe it was real, until she is brought into the site itself. The killing game is about to begin. However, this is one game you won’t want to watch.