Dare (film)

Cast

Reception

Dare was listed as one of the "best films of 2009" in Newsday by movie critic Rafer Guzman. He wrote, "This little-seen movie stars Ashley Springer, Emmy Rossum and Zach Gilford - all delivering top-notch performances - as three high-schoolers whose wobbly psyches collide. One of the smartest and most honest teen movies in years."

A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote, "Dare, written by David Brind, directed by Adam Salky and based on their short film of the same title, stakes out familiar territory and, true to its name, strikes out in some risky new directions. This high school semi-romance, which blends comic and tearful moods, is at once more provocative and more contemplative than most of its big-screen counterparts."

James Greenberg of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Dare, a smart and well-observed entry in the genre, is a cut above the usual hijinks. What elevates Dare above the usual high school fare is the quality of the writing by David Brind, crisp direction by Adam Salky and a uniformly attractive and compelling cast led by the delightful Emmy Rossum"

Gerrick Kennedy of The Los Angeles Times wrote, "With its dark, hyper-sexualization of teens, it offers an engrossing if not soap opera-esque tale of self-discovery."

Stina Chyn of Film Threat gave Dare four stars, writing, "What might otherwise be an exercise in ordinary adolescent stories turns powerfully intimate through the wonderful performances that Salky coaxes out from the cast."

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Dare, a sweetly sexed-up high school triangle movie, is like a John Hughes comedy trying to pass itself off as transgressive" and gave it a C+ rating.

Emmy Rossum won the Young Hollywood Award at the Savannah Film Festival, because of her acting performance in Dare.