Elliot is down on his luck. He's lost his job, he's deep in debt and about to get married to his pregnant girlfriend Shelby (Rutina Wesley), his mentally challenged brother Michael (Devon Graye) is in danger of being sent back to an institution, and his racist and bitter father (Tom Bower) is getting evicted from his retirement home and will have to move in with him. (The racist part is important, because Shelby is black, and a victim of petty cruelty from dad.) Elliot is at the end of his tether. So he feels like he's had a stroke of luck when he gets a phone call from an anonymous group that offers him a chance to participate in some kind of reality show. He has thirteen tasks to complete, and if he completes them all he'll be rich.

The tasks start out simply enough. The first one is just to kill a fly. But they get steadily more disturbing and wicked. Elliot is just desperate enough that he's willing to go along, until it's too late to back out. As the tasks get more destructive and illegal, the police become interested, in the form of relentless Detective Chilcoat (Ron Perlman). It doesn't take too long for them to ID the inexperienced criminal Elliot, but the mysterious voice on the phone tells him that if he completes his tasks, all charges and consequences will be taken care of. He soon discovers that there's another person playing the game too, and only one of them can win. The climax approaches Shakespearean levels, as one of the characters wryly notes.

13 Sins has something of the feel of a quest movie, but seen through a twisted lens. Elliot is desperate to improve his lot, but he becomes more and more uneasy with the path he's chosen. He's struggling as much against himself as against the game or the shadowy group behind it. Webber does a good job showing the subtle shifts in Elliot's outlook as the film progresses. In fact, all the performances are great, from Perlman's quiet seriousness, to Wesley's giggling exuberance, and Graye's spot on performance that is affecting but doesn't descend into parody. There's also a nice cameo by Pruitt Taylor Vince as a conspiracy nut who's obsessed with the game.

There are problems, though. The bathos are layered on quite a bit too thick at the beginning, in order to raise the stakes for Elliot's quest through the thirteen tasks. It makes him out to be a pathetic, loser sad sack, and presents the question of why a smart, put together beauty like Shelby would give him the time of day. Once the introductory segments are finished, though, the film works much better, and it is gratifying to see Elliot's transformation from an aimless schlub to a confident man steering his own destiny. There are also a few effects issues. Not really effects, actually, but execution. There is a wire across the road decapitation scene, and the motorcycles involved are not going nearly fast enough for the effect observed, for example. Stamm says in the commentary that this was because of safety and insurance reasons, but it does take the viewer out of the moment.

13 Sins is a mostly competent thriller with an interesting premise and very good performances. There are a few hiccups along the way, but it's an enjoyable ride, though something of a downer at times. Recommended.

The DVD

Video:
Video is 2.40:1 widescreen, and looks quite good. The image is sharp and bright. It really shows off the gritty concrete reality of New Orleans, where it was shot. No complaints in this area.

Sound:
Audio is 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio, and works very well. The sound is crisp and clear, and the viewer feels in the center of the action. No hiss or other problem can be detected, and the dialogue is always clearly audible. English and Spanish subtitles are included, but no alternate audio track.

Extras:
There are a few extras included. They are:

Making of 13 Sins
This features interviews with director Stamm, and much of the cast, and some of the crew. A lot of behind the scenes footage is included. It's fairly interesting.

Deleted Sequence
At just under six minutes, this is a deleted sequence with a task that didn't end up being used in the final film. It's fairly disturbing, and I won't spoil its content for you.

Alternate Ending
Stamm describes the ending in the final cut as the "character ending" and the alternate ending as the "genre ending". It's pretty creepy.

Anatomy of a Meltdown
Writer David Birke is, according to Stamm, a very mild mannered guy. But when Stamm insisted that they cut the deleted sequence above, Birke was upset, and Stamm recorded the Skype call to show all of us.

Feature Commentary with Co-writer / Director Daniel Stamm, Mark Webber, Ron Perlman and Devon Graye
The most substantial extra here, the commentary is interesting, but a little slow going at times. Stamm has a lot of fun trivia to pass along, and Webber and Graye have good insights into their characters. The true delight is Perlman, who is always engaging, and doesn't talk as much as we'd like him to.

Final Thoughts:
13 Sins isn't a perfect film, but it's well-crafted and fun to watch. Does the logic of the story always hold up? No, but it doesn't necessarily need to. The film makes motions at thoughtfulness, but never truly delves very deep. And that's okay. Check it out for some good acting turns and an interesting story.