This film is rather like Brokedown Palace in the sense that it is a story full of twists and turns which all eventually comes down to a dynamic and powerful conflict between best friends. It's also a dramatic and promising story of betrayal, trust, truth and suspense that seeps through the capable fingers of director Rob Cohen (Dragonheart). The ominous opening sequence tells us college sororities have always existed in elite and secret groups that build their members into deliberate power plays. 

"Every year at certain Ivy League colleges, an elite group of students is chosen to join Secret Societies. Unlike fraternities, these Societies conceal their actions as they mold the leaders of the future. At least three U.S. Presidents are known to have been members. The most powerful Secret Society has always been... The Skulls."

An elite organization who opens its doors only to a few promising youth each year, The Skulls has their eye set on the high school's most promising young rowing star, Luke McNamara, an orphan with a misspent youth and a few faithful friends in his roommate Will Beckford and could be girlfriend Chloe. Faced with the challenge of raising money for college tuition, Luke finds The Skulls a possible answer. Will cautions him with "anything that's secret and elite can't be good." But the lure of ominous stone hallways and secret ceremonies as well as the wealth and lavishness of a society above his own is too much for him to resist and Luke enters the society.

Secrecy is the ultimate rule in this gathering where Skulls' rules override those of the outside world. Luke's friendship with Will is badly shaken as a result. Each new member is given a soul mate, a protector, a companion, a best friend in this journey of adulthood. Luke's is the wealthy son of the Skull's most prominent member, Caleb Mandrake. They are well paired, unalike but equal. Despite Caleb's struggle between his own desires for the future and an overbearing father, they become close until something violently drives them apart. Presented with an impressive banking account, college tuition, prominent, enthralling promises of the future and even a new set of wheels, the dream world is shattered when Will Beckford is murdered... and Chloe reveals he was secretly working on an exposé on the Skulls. It's suddenly become a deadly world of secrecy and lies. As Luke struggles to reveal truth, he overturns a shocking and evil set of cover-ups and betrayal that could prove more than thrilling... it could be deadly.

With nowhere to turn, nowhere to run, and no one to trust, Luke must rely on his own ingenuity to reveal Will's killer... and escape the nets that are being woven around him... before it's too late.

This is not a film for the faint of heart, for it does involve intense sequences of car chases, explosions, shootings, beatings, and games of hide-and-seek as well as the mildly graphic murder of Will Beckford. (He's found hanging in his room but it is later discovered that his neck was broken -- we view the actual murder on a grainy surveillance tape.) Language is present but not overly offensive, the most cringe-worthy being one each of "Jesus," "for Christ's sake," and one GD. There's also some fist fighting, mild drinking, and a scene of implied sex. (All we see is a passionate make-out session between Luke and Chloe in a steamy bathroom.) But even with these mild cravats it's a good film and a surprisingly clean thriller. Some of the camera shots are a bit lame and they could have come up with a better soundtrack, but it packs enough excitement into two hours to carry off the few longer moments. Definitely not a good one to see while the kids are around, but for a teens seeking a thriller it definitely packs a punch.