Chain Letter (2010 film)
Encyclopedia
Chain Letter is a 2010 horror film
directed by Deon Taylor
. It was written by Diana Erwin, Michael J. Pagin, and Deon Taylor. The film is about six friends who are stalked by a murderer that uses chains to kill them if they do not pass on the chain letter.
Neil Conners (Cody Kasch
) receives a chain letter
from an anonymous person telling him that he is the first person who links the chain, and instructing him to forward it to five people, or else he will die. His sister Rachael (Cherilyn Wilson) then barges into his room and forwards the letter, but to only four recipients. Neil then adds his sister to the list and sends it.
Jessica "Jessie" Campbell (Nikki Reed
), who is Rachael's best friend, gets the letter and forwards it to five friends; Johnny Jones (Matt Cohen
) also receives it but refuses to send it, believing it to be ridiculous. While he is getting a drink of water at the fountain in the gym, a black hooded figure slams his head on the fountain three times and knocks two of his teeth out. Unconscious, he is chained arm-by-arm and leg-by-leg to a gym set and has his bones broken, after which the killer uses the chains to slice his face open, which kills him.
Jessie becomes suspicious as more people start to die. While Rachael is taking a bath, she is attacked in the bathroom by the black hooded figure, who stabs a spear into her head, splitting it open.
Jessie, Neil, and Michael (Michael J. Pagan
) must now try to stop the murders. A few days later, Jessie attends Rachael's funeral and is greeted by Detective Jim Crenshaw (Keith David
), and he tells her to forward the chain letter to him.
Later on, as more people send Neil the message, he panics and decides to delete all of them in order to be able to confront the killer. The killer, however, is on the roof of Neil's room, and sends a chain smashing through his ceiling. Neil dies a bloody death as he gets dragged up to the roof of his house by chains with various sickles and a hook.
It is revealed that the man behind all the killings was a soldier. During the war, he was tortured by the enemy because he had a government-issued cell phone. He returns to the United States severely disfigured and breaks out of a hospital, disappearing. He starts a cult of "anti-technology
" followers who are marked by bar-code tattoos.
As the film closes, the woman chained to the cars in the beginning is revealed to be Jessie, who is killed because she sent the chain letter to Detective Jim Crenshaw without sending it to four other people. Michael tries to save her, but is too late; when her father pulls out of the driveway, Jessie is ripped apart.
As the film ends, Detective Jim Crenshaw is shown chained to a table while the killer is making chains.
and co-written by Diana Erwin and Michael J. Pagan. It stars Nikki Reed
, Keith David
, Brad Dourif
, Betsy Russell
, and Bai Ling
. Roxanne Avent, Nesim Hason, and Todd Slater produced for Deon Taylor Enterprises.
, Hood, and Placerville
in California
, USA
.
, Los Angeles
, Chicago
, Houston, Detroit, and Atlanta. The film was released in American cinemas on October 1, 2010.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Deon Taylor
Deon Taylor
Deon Taylor is an American film director and screenwriter for horror films.-Early life:Deon Taylor was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Gary, Indiana...
. It was written by Diana Erwin, Michael J. Pagin, and Deon Taylor. The film is about six friends who are stalked by a murderer that uses chains to kill them if they do not pass on the chain letter.
Plot
The film opens in a garage with an unconscious young woman having her head wrapped in duct tape and her legs chained to the back of two cars. A man and a woman walk to their cars on their way to work. As the couple start their cars they exit the driveway. The woman in the garage wakes up, frightened; as the man is about to depart, the woman in the car notices the victim, but as she exits her car to warn the man, he drives off.Neil Conners (Cody Kasch
Cody Kasch
-Early life:Kasch was born of Scottish heritage in Santa Monica, California and raised in Ojai, California on a working ranch until he was nearly fourteen, when he moved to Camarillo, California.-Movie career:...
) receives a chain letter
Chain letter
A typical chain letter consists of a message that attempts to the recipient to make a number of copies of the letter and then pass them on to as many recipients as possible...
from an anonymous person telling him that he is the first person who links the chain, and instructing him to forward it to five people, or else he will die. His sister Rachael (Cherilyn Wilson) then barges into his room and forwards the letter, but to only four recipients. Neil then adds his sister to the list and sends it.
Jessica "Jessie" Campbell (Nikki Reed
Nikki Reed
Nicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
), who is Rachael's best friend, gets the letter and forwards it to five friends; Johnny Jones (Matt Cohen
Matt Cohen (actor)
Matthew Joseph "Matt" Cohen is an American film and television actor best known for playing Aiden Dennison on the teen drama South of Nowhere.-Life and career:...
) also receives it but refuses to send it, believing it to be ridiculous. While he is getting a drink of water at the fountain in the gym, a black hooded figure slams his head on the fountain three times and knocks two of his teeth out. Unconscious, he is chained arm-by-arm and leg-by-leg to a gym set and has his bones broken, after which the killer uses the chains to slice his face open, which kills him.
Jessie becomes suspicious as more people start to die. While Rachael is taking a bath, she is attacked in the bathroom by the black hooded figure, who stabs a spear into her head, splitting it open.
Jessie, Neil, and Michael (Michael J. Pagan
Michael J. Pagan
Michael Jamon Pagan is an American actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Pagan attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach and West Los Angeles College in Los Angeles. He has received training at the Tasha Smith Acting Studio and the Ivanna Chubbuck Studio...
) must now try to stop the murders. A few days later, Jessie attends Rachael's funeral and is greeted by Detective Jim Crenshaw (Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
), and he tells her to forward the chain letter to him.
Later on, as more people send Neil the message, he panics and decides to delete all of them in order to be able to confront the killer. The killer, however, is on the roof of Neil's room, and sends a chain smashing through his ceiling. Neil dies a bloody death as he gets dragged up to the roof of his house by chains with various sickles and a hook.
It is revealed that the man behind all the killings was a soldier. During the war, he was tortured by the enemy because he had a government-issued cell phone. He returns to the United States severely disfigured and breaks out of a hospital, disappearing. He starts a cult of "anti-technology
Luddite
The Luddites were a social movement of 19th-century English textile artisans who protested – often by destroying mechanised looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life...
" followers who are marked by bar-code tattoos.
As the film closes, the woman chained to the cars in the beginning is revealed to be Jessie, who is killed because she sent the chain letter to Detective Jim Crenshaw without sending it to four other people. Michael tries to save her, but is too late; when her father pulls out of the driveway, Jessie is ripped apart.
As the film ends, Detective Jim Crenshaw is shown chained to a table while the killer is making chains.
Cast
- Nikki ReedNikki ReedNicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
as Jessica "Jessie" Campbell - Michael J. PaganMichael J. PaganMichael Jamon Pagan is an American actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Pagan attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach and West Los Angeles College in Los Angeles. He has received training at the Tasha Smith Acting Studio and the Ivanna Chubbuck Studio...
as Michael - Cody KaschCody Kasch-Early life:Kasch was born of Scottish heritage in Santa Monica, California and raised in Ojai, California on a working ranch until he was nearly fourteen, when he moved to Camarillo, California.-Movie career:...
as Neil Conners - Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
as Detective Jim Crenshaw - Brad DourifBrad DourifBradford Claude "Brad" Dourif is an American film and television actor who gained early fame for his portrayal of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and has since appeared in a number of memorable roles, including the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, Younger Brother in...
as Mr. Smirker - Noah SeganNoah Segan-Acting career:He has appeared in Brick, Adam & Steve, What We Do Is Secret , The Picture of Dorian Gray, Cabin Fever 2, All About Evil, an award-winning performance in Deadgirl, Chain Letter and others...
as Dante - David Zahedian as Brad
- Cherilyn Wilson as Rachael Conners
- Bai LingBai LingBai Ling is a Chinese actress known for her work in films such as The Crow, Red Corner and Wild Wild West, and in TV series such as Entourage and Lost. In 2011 she appeared in the fifth season of the VH1 reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr...
as Jai Pham - Betsy RussellBetsy RussellBetsy Russell is an American actress who is best known for her role in Private School, and as Jill Tuck, the ex-wife of the Jigsaw Killer in the Saw film series.-Early life:...
as Sergeant Hamill - Matt CohenMatt Cohen (actor)Matthew Joseph "Matt" Cohen is an American film and television actor best known for playing Aiden Dennison on the teen drama South of Nowhere.-Life and career:...
as Johnny Jones - Patrick St. EspritPatrick St. EspritPatrick St. Esprit is an American actor whose career has spanned 30 years. Patrick's first major role was of Buddy a boxer in the TV comedy Police Squad! in the episode "Ring of Fear "...
as Dean Jones - Michael Bailey SmithMichael Bailey SmithMichael Bailey Smith is an American movie and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the hit television series Charmed, where he played Belthazor, The Source of All Evil, a Grimlock leader and Shax.-Early life:...
as the Chain Killer
Production
The film was directed by Deon TaylorDeon Taylor
Deon Taylor is an American film director and screenwriter for horror films.-Early life:Deon Taylor was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Gary, Indiana...
and co-written by Diana Erwin and Michael J. Pagan. It stars Nikki Reed
Nikki Reed
Nicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
, Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
, Brad Dourif
Brad Dourif
Bradford Claude "Brad" Dourif is an American film and television actor who gained early fame for his portrayal of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and has since appeared in a number of memorable roles, including the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, Younger Brother in...
, Betsy Russell
Betsy Russell
Betsy Russell is an American actress who is best known for her role in Private School, and as Jill Tuck, the ex-wife of the Jigsaw Killer in the Saw film series.-Early life:...
, and Bai Ling
Bai Ling
Bai Ling is a Chinese actress known for her work in films such as The Crow, Red Corner and Wild Wild West, and in TV series such as Entourage and Lost. In 2011 she appeared in the fifth season of the VH1 reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr...
. Roxanne Avent, Nesim Hason, and Todd Slater produced for Deon Taylor Enterprises.
Filming
Filming took place in El Dorado HillsEl Dorado Hills, California
El Dorado Hills is an unincorporated census-designated place located in El Dorado County, California, east of the state capital of Sacramento. The population was 42,108 at the 2010 census, up from 18,016 at the 2000 census...
, Hood, and Placerville
Placerville, California
Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,389 at the 2010 census, up from 9,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Release
The limited theatrical release was set for October 1, 2010, with screenings in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Houston, Detroit, and Atlanta. The film was released in American cinemas on October 1, 2010.