What does it mean to be ‘Gothic?’ Is it just the clothes you wear, the drugs you do, the color of you hair? What about how hardcore you are? How do you know if you can really call yourself “Goth?”

Goth can. That’s her name. She’s a strange and seductive woman that Crissy meets outside the gothic club she and her boyfriend Boone frequent. Crissy and Boone have just moved in together and are very much in love. Crissy herself seem almost too sweet and innocent to be hanging out with the oddballs at the club. Boone himself is an attentive and happy young man. Then why all the black makeup and the dark clothes? That’s probably what Goth is thinking when she invites Crissy and Boone out behind the club to try a new drug. Goth has her name tattooed on her chest, a strange symbol tattooed on her forehead, and she dresses and looks like every other gothic girl.

So what makes her so different? She has three rules that she lives by, and that she swears you must live by in order to call yourself Goth; 1) Embrace the Darkness, 2) Kill the Fear, 3) Live for Death. Sound confusing? Crissy and Boone are confused as well. It isn’t until Goth takes them on the strangest ride of their lives that Crissy even begins to understand. Murders, torture, and sexual experiences beyond anything they ever imagined lead Crissy to a place where she can finally call herself Goth, and mean it.

Crissy (Laura Reilly) is a demure and Katie Holmes-esque heroine. She gives the illusion of being unable to protect herself or Boone from Goth, but is actually a very strong and clever character. Boone (Dave Stann) shows his weakness by not being able to overcome Goth’s incredible physical and mental strength. Goth herself is an overwhelmingly charismatic character played by Phoebe Dollar. Goth is in control of every situation she puts herself in and seems capable of doing anything she desires. Her freedom is both seductive and disgusting as she torments those around her for her own pleasure.

Phoebe’s performance as Goth is overwhelmingly the best in this film. She has created a menacing, yet beautiful, character that is at once human and supernatural. Using the drugs to induce Crissy and Boone to actions they would never otherwise commit, she manipulates them into her dark and demented world, but retains an almost otherworldly hold on the couple even when they are sober.

Goth’s incredible physical strength (she is able to throw grown men around like rag dolls) is slightly unconvincing, and yet reinforces the idea that she might be a supernatural being of some kind. Laura Reilly’s performance is dwarfed by Phoebe’s throughout the film, and though you know you ought to be rooting for the “good guy,” the “bad guy” is so much fun you cheer for Goth. Special effects in the vein of Pulp Fiction (gunshot wounds, knife cuts, and generally small and realistic wounds) happen all throughout this film, but the gore level never raises to what a horror film lover would desire. In fact, this film is not so much horror as it is a thriller that happens to be set in the subculture of the Goths.

The story is an allegory for those in the world of goths who pretend to be something they cannot understand. Goth’s goal in taking Crissy and Boone into her world and showing them true darkness is to make them choose whether to be posers, or the real thing. ‘Embracing the Darkness’ is a way to accept what is evil and wrong with this world. Instead of trying to change it, one must become one with it. That Goths are above guilt, above right and wrong, and above promises, is proven when Goth takes the couple on a sexual exploration. They do things they would never dream of doing in front of each other, and to hurt each other. ‘Kill the Fear’ means to let go of all your inhibitions and reservations. Goths are above fear. Crissy and Boone aid Goth in a kidnapping and mutilation, and witness the crime without helping the victims. Though Boone cannot overcome his fear, Crissy understands how to enjoy it. ‘Live for Death’ is a difficult lesson for them both to learn, and the most complicated to explain. Boone never really seems to understand this point, and ends up paying for it dearly. Crissy slowly begins to realize that she herself is Goth, and has been living for death for years without even knowing it.

Crissy is an intelligent, if boring, character. She tries to outsmart Goth several times, and at the crucial climax of the film. She has her own agenda that relates back to a dead sister she has, and who she believes that Goth murdered years before. As she acts out against Goth she unwittingly embodies all that Goth is; darkness, death, and fear all become parts of her. In the end it is Crissy who really understands what it means to be Goth, and that clothes, hair, and style are only a glimpse into the darkness of the soul of someone who can claim to be truly Goth, like Crissy can.

The DVD release comes with extras like deleted scenes, bloopers, interviews with the cast and crew, cast bios, and a photo gallery. Goth is seductive and, in and of itself, a very dark, brooding, and psychologically twisted story. This is a must-see for anyone who considers themselves gothic; not only will it be a fun ride, but they might learn something about what it really means to “live for death.”

Two and a half stars.