Pledge is a 2018 horror thriller about a group of college freshmen who pledge an exclusive fraternity but soon realize there’s more at stake than they ever imagined.
It’s always nice to see filmmakers dive into rarely tapped territories, and even though fraternities are common in film, hazing and pledging as a central plot, not so much. It’s a great angle to explore, especially when there are some truly over-the-top things that can happen (or as the rumor goes). And that is right where director Daniel Robbins takes us in Pledge.
Pledge starts in a fairly ominous way before jumping into the main story with a trio of typical ‘nerdy’ freshmen, David (Zack Weiner), Ethan (Phillip Andre Botello) and Justin (Zachary Byrd), all trying to be accepted into frat parties, hoping to just belong somewhere without being humiliated. Things take a positive turn after they miss out on a party when beautiful college girl Rachel (Erica Boozer) invites them to a different one, which ends up being in the middle of nowhere at a mansion. Taking a leap of faith, they are welcomed into this frat (for the most part) and are invited back by rich college boys Max (Aaron Dalla Villa), Ricky (Cameron Cowperthwaite) and Bret (Jesse Pimentel) for a pledging ceremony along with two other guys, Ben (Joe Gallagher) and Sam (Jean-Louis Droulers). The hazing starts off humiliating (and gross at times) but things get crazy and out of hand really fast before it finally turns into a race for their lives.
Pledge is a grueling and brutal rollercoaster ride that takes spins from bad to worse to horrifying. It’s really good looking though, the cinematography handled very well by William Tracy Babcock, who manufactures a lot of moody atmosphere that generate many engaging moments. Robbins works with a script by Weiner, who plays David, the story doing a lot right, especially in choosing to twist a fairly straight forward plot into an intense and well-paced thriller, all in only 81 minutes. Movies nowadays tend to run overly long and when a film manages to be this effective in such a short time, it’s something to celebrate.
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While there’s plenty of edge-of-your-seat momentum, the real standout is its talented young cast. Whether it was the pledgers or the hazers, the depth in these characters is impactful. Once we get a good idea of who these naive freshmen guys are, wrapped up in their goofy and socially awkward personalities, it’s a thrill to see them evolve. There are some truly disturbing moments that quickly spiral and out of control as the hazers go to work, their leader, well played by Villa particularly villainous. Villa goes next level with his quiet expressions that lull us into comfort before he switches over to maniacal, creating some truly psychologically terrifying moments.
However, Pimentel and Cowperthwaite are the real draw, delivering equally memorable performances. If Pimentel sounds familiar, then you’ve played 2017’s survival horror game Resident Evil: Biohazard, where he voices the role of Lucas Baker, a fairly unhinged character. These frat boys are a bad lot, and the tension Robbins builds is only compounded by the terrific turns by the cast. There is nothing more terrifying than watching people like this spiral into madness, not knowing what is next. Pledge is a cleverly-structured movie from start to finish, making this a must-see.