My quick rating – 3.6/10. Somewhere out there, a filmmaker watched Saw, thought “what if this had less money, more awkward acting, and a rich girl handing out death games like party favors?” and thus, Lure (2026) was born.
The movie kicks off with a random guy sprinting through the woods like he is late for the bus, only to get snagged by a conveniently placed barbed wire trap and collected by a mysterious woman. Nothing says “good start” quite like immediately wondering if you accidentally sat on the wrong streaming title. Soon after, we meet Tom (Kit Esuruoso), who arrives at an invitation-only party hosted by the mysterious and alluring Islay (Silvia Presente). And by “party,” I mean a deeply concerning social gathering where tied-up men are casually displayed like centerpieces. Islay politely introduces each one as if she’s hosting The Bachelor: Cult Family Edition.
The setup is simple enough. Six men compete in a series of games to become the perfect suitor for the rich girl. Romantic, right? Of course, there’s a catch. Mouth off to Islay and your head may quite literally explode. The movie wastes little time turning into discount Saw, with a bunch of self-inflicted tasks and survival challenges thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, the quick-cut camera work makes it weirdly difficult to even tell what some of the contestants are actually doing half the time. It feels less like building suspense and more like the editor accidentally drank six energy drinks before touching the timeline.
As expected, logic takes a holiday. Thankfully for Tom, six-shooter revolvers apparently come with magical self-reloading technology in Lure’s universe. Who needs realism when the gun decides, “You know what? Let’s keep this scene moving.”
Performance-wise, Silvia Presente does a decent enough job as the sinister Islay, carrying herself with the right blend of charm and menace. There’s at least something there to keep your attention. Gregory Fung as Markus, though, delivers one of the strangest performances in the film. At times, it genuinely feels like he wandered into frame, unaware filming had already started. The rest of the cast mostly blends into one forgettable pile of disposable victims.
The technical side does not exactly save things either. The effects are basic, the CGI splatter lacks punch, and somehow the music frequently overpowers the dialogue. Granted, nobody is exactly delivering life-changing philosophy here, but it would still be nice to hear what people are saying before someone inevitably gets maimed.
Maybe Lure (2026) would have landed differently if it had existed before Saw. Or if it had a budget bigger than the price of a decent takeaway dinner. As it stands, this is a silly little death-game thriller with a straightforward setup, weak execution, and not much to chew on beyond Silvia Presente’s screen presence.
Not the worst horror movie lurking in the bargain bin, but definitely a pass. You can find better.
