"Countdown"? More like letdown

The season of scary movies is upon us and on Oct. 25, Justin Dec’s “Countdown” hit theaters. The film follows a group of unlucky people who download the app Countdown, which is currently available on iPhones and Androids, and shows a timer that supposedly displays the remaining amount of time one has left to live. Following tragic accidents involving their friends, the characters realizes the “Countdown” app really can predict death. Protagonist Quinn Harris (Elizabeth Lial), a recently registered nurse, downloads the app and is told she only has three days until her life is over. As Harris attempts to side step her fate, she soon comes to find out the force of evil she is dealing with is much stronger than a digital app.With only a 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it is clear that critics don’t consider it an amazing movie. The concept alone is hard to take seriously, and to be honest, does not make too much sense. Yet somehow the film, even if not on purpose, is funny and in the end quite entertaining. If you are looking to get a little thrill, “Countdown” will do the trick.From the first scene, bad acting is evident and unfortunately does not improve much throughout the course of the movie. The leading rolls of Harris and Jordan Calloway (Matt Monroe), were believable, but at times fell short of capturing real fear. This could easily be due to the underdeveloped characters on the part of the movie’s writers, but whether it is the actors’ or the writers’ fault, the problems are evident on screen. On the other hand, some of the smaller, supporting rolls, such as the Tech Guy Derek (Tom Segura) and Father John (P.J Byrne), stood out for their weird personalities and hysterical dialogue. Somehow, despite the laughable concept of “Countdown,” the movie manages to be scary. Not in a deeply creepy or profound way, but through jump scares after long and tantalizing moments of suspenseful build up.With a digital app as the premise of the movie, it was obvious that the film was trying to relate to today’s youth. But the movie missed the mark and seemed to be trying too hard to appeal to a young audience. The film also attempted to make some minor political commentary which got lost in the ridiculous plot.“Countdown,” though it does not have the greatest storyline or the most interesting characters, is a thrilling and fun movie to get your heart rate up.