Countdown 2020 Gives Decent Chills

The surprise box office success of the “Countdown” horror movie surely caught many off guard. With its official theatrical release in October 2019 and a budget of just $6.5 million, the fact that it grossed nearly $50 million is surely making someone excited somewhere. Following its theatrical run, the film had a digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD release in January 2020, marking the directorial debut of Justin Dec. If you’re a fan of movies about cheating death like the Final Destination franchise, then you’re in for a treat. There’s even a real Countdown movie app that you can download for free. How much time do you have left?

The cast is comprised of a talented ensemble of familiar faces that will surely please audiences. Elizabeth Lail, known for her role in the hit Netflix series You, stars as the lead character Quinn, a resident doctor in training. We first meet her in the hospital where Dillon Lane, whom many may recognize from “Modern Family”, has a few lines. It is here that Quinn downloads the app after a patient waiting for surgery begins to point out its sinister nature.

The storyline itself may not be entirely original; in fact, I found several similarities to the “Final Destination” movies. However, the premise is one that never fails to hook me in. I particularly enjoyed the modern twist in this film, where a group of friends stumble upon an app at a party that sets a timer for when each person will die. The Countdown movie presents a simple yet intriguing narrative. And yes, the “Countdown” movie app is real — you can look it up and download it from your preferred app store.

Countdown Full Movie Trailer

What’s the Movie Countdown About?

In any case, like in similar movies, in this scenario, the terms and conditions are the rules of the ‘game.’ For most of the film, it strings you along. Soon after Quinn downloads the app, a message flashes onto her screen. The Count Down movie timer begins to tick. The terms and conditions are broken.

In the opening scenes, a girl from the party is also shown receiving the warning message. Her time is short. Out of all of her friends, she was shown to be practically knocking on death’s door. Everyone watching wants to know what the terms and conditions are. The scenario is so familiar it’s easy to go along with. Who reads the terms and conditions anyway?

Jump Scares and Atmospheric Tension

The scares are all built around atmospheric tension and predictability plays into that. It’s a great tactic and one of my personal favorites in horror. Filmmakers are trying to confuse the matter. They want you to know there is something there. Something lurking. Countdown branches out on that original fear that was so defiantly used in Final Destination. Someone knows they are going to die. You know they are going to die. But how will it happen?

Jump scares aren’t overused even if the tired and worn tropes of luring people onto staircases are. In fact, this would be my biggest gripe about the whole thing. A few small but irritating faux-pas in the set of some of the deaths themselves. They are not nearly as clever or well thought out as those from my favorite franchise. For mostly-intelligent characters, are convinced to do terribly uninformed things. A scene involving a vivacious priest and a salt circle was even more annoying.

Quinn has the presence of mind to make it so a pesky old demon can’t conjure wind and have it blow away. Once all the survivors are safe inside said circle, somehow they are lured outside its protection. It irked me and I wish they’d just let a rampant gust split it and had the demon kill them all right then and there.

#MeToo

Despite finding it totally predictable and with those mild annoyances, the great casting choices make this a very pleasant time passer. There is a modern #metoo angle found in the latter half that I quite enjoyed even if there was no follow-up for it. There’s a comedic tone infused into the dialogue that’s also not unpleasant. It is a great time passer and a film I can recommend to anyone who likes a bit of a death curse horror flick.

I give Countdown

3.5 countdown movie apps out of 5

Count Down Cast

The Count Down cast includes: Elizabeth Lail, Jordan Calloway, Talitha Bateman, Peter Facinelli, Dillon Lane

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