Movie Review: Event Horizon (1997)
Event Horizon
In 2040, an explorer ship known as the Event Horizon went missing beyond deep-space boundaries. Seven years later, the ship sends a garbled signal back to Earth that sounds a lot like a cry for help. A rescue ship led by Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) is dispatched to investigate, but Miller's crew (including Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan and Joely Richardson) soon realizes the awful truth -- something unimaginable has happened on board. (description from Netflix)
Event Horizon rates quite a bit better on a second viewing, 11 years later. It's a bit derivative, of course, especially of Alien and Hellraiser, but still manages to evoke sufficient chills, especially through the performance of Sam Neill. Though there is lots of violence and gore, the most effectively scary scenes are those that get inside the characters' heads. There is more terror and dramatic tension in those suspenseful, claustrophobic moments than in those containing buckets of blood. Creepy things are even creepier when they're said in Latin. I was also pleasantly surprised to see how many "names" show up in this film--Laurence Fishburne, Neill, Joely Richardson, Sean Pertwee, Kathleen Quinlan, Jason Isaacs. I would argue that this is Paul W.S. Anderson's best film. Apparently (according to the special features) it was originally much gorier, but the studio asked Anderson to make a number of cuts, after the test audiences reacted negatively. I think this was a wise move, as the claustrophobic suspense and what blood is still there is quite nasty enough, at least for me. This was before the days of "torture porn" and the gratuitous violence of movies like Saw and its ilk, so just a quick flash or montage is enough to sufficiently show us the horrors of the other universe the ship has discovered. Although more sensitive types might want to cover their eyes at the horrifying airlock scene--that part almost gave me nightmares.
This is a film that deserves another look. It very much defines the mantra of "in space, no one can hear you scream." The ending part with Neill and Laurence Fishburne reminded me a lot of the ending of Danny Boyle's Sunshine, as well. If you have seen both films, you'll understand what I mean.
3 stars out of 5.
In 2040, an explorer ship known as the Event Horizon went missing beyond deep-space boundaries. Seven years later, the ship sends a garbled signal back to Earth that sounds a lot like a cry for help. A rescue ship led by Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) is dispatched to investigate, but Miller's crew (including Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan and Joely Richardson) soon realizes the awful truth -- something unimaginable has happened on board. (description from Netflix)
Event Horizon rates quite a bit better on a second viewing, 11 years later. It's a bit derivative, of course, especially of Alien and Hellraiser, but still manages to evoke sufficient chills, especially through the performance of Sam Neill. Though there is lots of violence and gore, the most effectively scary scenes are those that get inside the characters' heads. There is more terror and dramatic tension in those suspenseful, claustrophobic moments than in those containing buckets of blood. Creepy things are even creepier when they're said in Latin. I was also pleasantly surprised to see how many "names" show up in this film--Laurence Fishburne, Neill, Joely Richardson, Sean Pertwee, Kathleen Quinlan, Jason Isaacs. I would argue that this is Paul W.S. Anderson's best film. Apparently (according to the special features) it was originally much gorier, but the studio asked Anderson to make a number of cuts, after the test audiences reacted negatively. I think this was a wise move, as the claustrophobic suspense and what blood is still there is quite nasty enough, at least for me. This was before the days of "torture porn" and the gratuitous violence of movies like Saw and its ilk, so just a quick flash or montage is enough to sufficiently show us the horrors of the other universe the ship has discovered. Although more sensitive types might want to cover their eyes at the horrifying airlock scene--that part almost gave me nightmares.
This is a film that deserves another look. It very much defines the mantra of "in space, no one can hear you scream." The ending part with Neill and Laurence Fishburne reminded me a lot of the ending of Danny Boyle's Sunshine, as well. If you have seen both films, you'll understand what I mean.
3 stars out of 5.