This surprisingly decent little indie film isn't satisfied asking the age-old question of what you would do for a million dollars. In this story, a million bucks can be had for essentially doing nothing; the question here is what would you do for additional millions of dollars -- or, to be more exact, would you commit murder for a greater share of a grand total of $8 million?

This film takes that question outside the bounds of rhetoric and philosophy and puts it to the test in a carefully constructed real world situation.

Eight strangers are invited to spend the weekend in a secluded house. Upon arrival, they are informed that they have been chosen to participate in a game/experiment designed to help answer the age-old question of whether man is inherently good or evil. The rewards of participation are great, but so are the potential consequences. All the eight characters have to do to win $1 million apiece is to stay in the house for the next two full days. Sounds easy enough -- but there's a catch. All eight have to remain there for the two full days -- if one person sets foot outside the door, the game is over and no one wins a dime.

Then comes the kicker. The mysterious man running the show unveils a sizable cache of various deadly weapons and explains that those who survive the two days will split the grand total of $8 million between them (and he assures them that no one can trace them back to this location). In other words, murder is suddenly a most profitable business opportunity for anyone unwilling to settle for just a measly million.

Even though these eight very different personalities clash a great deal from the very beginning, everyone agrees to just wait out the two days without killing anyone else. A million dollars should be enough for anyone, right? Well, apparently not. When the inevitable happens, the group dynamic quickly begins to fall apart, leaving individuals scrambling to figure out who they can trust and how they can ensure their own survival while also making sure that no one saves himself or herself by leaving the house. The tension and suspense really ratchet up as the story races toward its climax.

I have to give the filmmakers a lot of credit for the sly way in which they set everything up. What I thought was a colossal blunder early on turned out to be the exact opposite, and that really enhanced my ultimate enjoyment of the film.

I should note that 8 Million Dollars does have its share of problems. A budget of $80,000 doesn't buy you the greatest actors in the world -- although I would say that everyone in the cast did manage to turn in an adequate performance. Some of the film's dialogue is more problematic, however. Arguments between characters tend to be rather childlike in nature (although most certainly adult in language). It never gets as bad as someone covering his/her ears and saying "Naa, naa, I can't hear you," but it gets pretty close to that level on a couple of occasions. If you can just grin and bear it during the rough moments, though, I think you just might be pleasantly surprised by this indie suspense thriller.