Watch Pledge

Pledge is a psychological horror movie released in 2018, directed by Daniel Robbins and starring Zachery Byrd, Phillip Andre Botello, and Zack Weiner. The plot revolves around three college friends, David (Byrd), Ethan (Botello), and Justin (Weiner), who are desperate to join a prestigious fraternity. After being turned down by every other fraternity in their college, they come across a secret invitation that offers them a chance to join a secretive fraternity. Excited about the possibility of finally fitting in, David, Ethan, and Justin immediately accept the invitation, without realizing the horrors that lie ahead.

The movie starts with the three friends attending a college party, where they are shown as misfits, struggling to fit in with the popular crowd. Feeling dejected and frustrated, they come across a flyer for a secret fraternity. Thinking that this might be their chance to finally belong, the trio sets out to find the location mentioned on the flyer. They eventually arrive at a creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere, where they are greeted by a group of elite fraternity members.

At first, the boys are thrilled by the attention and the promise of initiation into the fraternity, which they believe will open doors for them to the ultimate college experience. However, the excitement fades away quickly when they realize that they are in way over their heads. They are repeatedly subjected to brutal hazing conducted by the fraternity members, taking a grisly turn after a night of heavy drinking.

The movie creates an intense and terrifying atmosphere, and through its fast-paced plot, it keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats. Pledge explores the darker side of fraternity culture and the extreme measures that some young people are willing to take to fit in. The characterization of the three main characters is excellent, with the actors delivering strong performances that add to the movie's suspense and horror. The movie's themes of fear, isolation, and desperation are all too familiar to anyone who has ever felt marginalized in school or society.

One of the strongest aspects of the movie is the writing, which is sharp, believable and captures the nuances of millennial college culture. The film's director, Daniel Robbins, has done an impressive job of crafting a world that feels real, yet twisted and nightmarish. The cinematography, music, and sound design also add to the movie's eerie vibe.

The horror aspect of Pledge is not overtly gory, relying instead on slow-building suspense and tension, which is a refreshing change from the kind of horror that relies excessively on graphic violence. There are instances of violence, but they are not gratuitous, and they serve the story effectively. The movie also brilliantly subverts the tropes of typical fraternity movies that glorify the drinking culture and the antics of young people.

In conclusion, Pledge is a well-made, intense and genuinely unsettling movie that sheds light on the extreme lengths that people sometimes go to fit in. It is a cautionary tale about the darker aspects of college fraternities that is sure to stay with the viewers for a long time. The movie ends on an ambiguous note, which will leave some viewers feeling unsatisfied. However, overall, Pledge is a must-watch for fans of horror and suspense cinema.

Pledge is a 2019 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 18 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.4 and a MetaScore of 54.