There are moments of amusing melodrama, but for the most part, the action is too preposterous to take seriously, and too serious to be very much fun.

Toward the end, there's a delightful dream sequence, which shows that director-writers Michalis Reppas and Thanassis Papathanasiou aren't complete hacks. Perhaps they'll do better the next time out.

The Greek film Blackmail Boy has the feel of farce at times, but much of the time it just seems determined to shock.

The hysteria is relentless: shrieking, punching, puking, trigger pulling. Overheard bits of inane party chatter provide the only moments of levity; otherwise the theater of cruelty slogs on with no cathartic release.