Then I guess, Point 2 calls Point 1 into question. If this is truly a movie that can survive on its own concepts, why fall back on old-school terror elements like incompetent secondary characters dying off one by one? Not every big budget movie requires an ensemble cast, in my opinion, especially when they're so obviously just lambs being led to slaughter for our amusement.
And of course you have the black guy sacrificing himself...Trey and Matt would be proud