Us Brits have got reasonably good at producing limited budget scary flicks like this where a group of armed protagonists are stuck in an isolated location and have to fight supernatural forces (Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Deathwatch). I enjoyed most of this movie. It only started to get ridiculous towards the end. Anyone who gets the twists in movies easily will have the entire film sussed in the first twenty minutes, and anyone who doesn't might be pleasantly surprised by it. Either way it makes it difficult to comment directly without spoiling it.
However I can say this. A rag tag group of mercenaries are hired on false pretences to accompany and protect a scientist in search of something in an abandoned bunker in Eastern Europe. We get to this point fairly quickly without a laborious preamble. Once there, strange things begin to happen and the soldiers begin to get picked off. There is a reason for these goings on, and to start with it is handled quite well but the writer/director messed up big time by not exploring it more and because early on walls and doors are no obstacle to the enemy, and claymores and trip wires remain untriggered. The enemy does not do what they want it to, it cannot be predicted and comes an goes in small groups. However in the climax the walls and doors are an obstacle and suddenly the enemy is very helpful in it's own possible demise, setting off claymores and tripwires and coming at them en masse and predictably.
Additionally I would very much like to have seen more exploration of why these things were happening and the motivation of the enemy. But alas there isn't and in the final act it just becomes silly, their actions show they have an agenda but earlier on it was explained that they were just doing what they knew.
Because of budget limitations there are very few special effects but be clear this isn't a 'low budget' film with all the negatives that go with that label. what is done is done well, it's very atmospheric, and the lighting and cinematography is very good. The actors all put in decent performances, there's a couple of good lines, one very iconistic shot with a flag (you'll know when you see it) and some good gruesome deaths.
All told this is quite a good movie given it's limitations, but what a shame the story gets silly in the final act. I came away having enjoyed it but for once in my life wishing it had had some big US money behind it.
Worth watching. Not as good as Dog Soldiers, or The Descent but better than Deathwatch and The Cave.
However I can say this. A rag tag group of mercenaries are hired on false pretences to accompany and protect a scientist in search of something in an abandoned bunker in Eastern Europe. We get to this point fairly quickly without a laborious preamble. Once there, strange things begin to happen and the soldiers begin to get picked off. There is a reason for these goings on, and to start with it is handled quite well but the writer/director messed up big time by not exploring it more and because early on walls and doors are no obstacle to the enemy, and claymores and trip wires remain untriggered. The enemy does not do what they want it to, it cannot be predicted and comes an goes in small groups. However in the climax the walls and doors are an obstacle and suddenly the enemy is very helpful in it's own possible demise, setting off claymores and tripwires and coming at them en masse and predictably.
Additionally I would very much like to have seen more exploration of why these things were happening and the motivation of the enemy. But alas there isn't and in the final act it just becomes silly, their actions show they have an agenda but earlier on it was explained that they were just doing what they knew.
Because of budget limitations there are very few special effects but be clear this isn't a 'low budget' film with all the negatives that go with that label. what is done is done well, it's very atmospheric, and the lighting and cinematography is very good. The actors all put in decent performances, there's a couple of good lines, one very iconistic shot with a flag (you'll know when you see it) and some good gruesome deaths.
All told this is quite a good movie given it's limitations, but what a shame the story gets silly in the final act. I came away having enjoyed it but for once in my life wishing it had had some big US money behind it.
Worth watching. Not as good as Dog Soldiers, or The Descent but better than Deathwatch and The Cave.