Anymore, I’m beginning to think that my favorite part of most horror movies is the setup. This is the part when the mystery is the greatest as is the potential for huge, imaginative ideas. Lately, it seems like horror movies lose me when the story begins answering those mysteries, especially when what started out as something truly creepy and seemingly unknowable turns out to be cliché: the entire story takes place in the narrator’s head, or the main character turns out to have multiple personalities. Explanations like that make me think that the writer backed him/herself into a corner and couldn’t deliver on the promise shown at the beginning. Thankfully, Triangle isn’t one of those movies.
Now, I’m a sucker for stories set on the water—particularly ghost stories—so Triangle is one of those “You had me at hello” movies because the entire story practically takes place on the ocean. Jess, played by Melissa George, takes a yacht ride with a group of new friends, but she can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen. Her fears are confirmed when a freak storm appears, capsizing the yacht, and leaving them stranded in the water. Help arrives as a cruise liner passes, but once they board, the castaways find it seemingly deserted. That is, until a shotgun-wielding maniac begins taking them out one by one.
But that’s just the setup. Pretty soon we find that something else is happening on this cruise ship as time and space bend and the castaways find that they may be even more lost than they first thought. Really, that’s about all I can say about the plot. That sense of mystery I talked about earlier plays an integral part of this story, and going into more detail about the plot runs the risk of me spoiling your enjoyment of seeing the answers to that mystery play out in the movie. I will say, though, that each reveal only deepens the mystery, and the movie is very good at giving you just enough new information at a good pace to keep you interested, leading to a heartbreaking, yet immensely satisfying, ending.
Melissa George is the star of the movie, and in some ways it’s almost like she’s in a one-woman show. No stranger to horror, George starred in—among other works—the Amityville Horror remake as the mother, and she holds your attention throughout the entire film. The arc her character goes through feels completely natural, almost inevitable, and she plays it perfectly. Given that the story’s focus is almost entirely on her, her performance would make or break the film, and, obviously, she rose to the occasion.
Triangle is one of those gems that reviewers live for. It flew completely under my radar, and, because of that, I was took by surprise by how much I enjoyed it. It’s a fun, twisty, tragic horror movie that’s worth a hundred Saws, Hostels or other big-budget horror-schlock released in the theaters lately.
The film is presented in 16×9 Anamorphic Widescreen with the audio in Dolby True HD. The only language track is in English, but there are English and Spanish subtitles for non-native speakers and the hearing impaired. The movie looks and sounds fine with no discernable problems.
Cast and Crew Interviews (5:58) – Pretty standard interview stuff here, but it was interesting to hear where the idea of the movie came from.
Maybe it’s because this movie took me completely by surprise, but I really enjoyed it. The acting was good, the pacing good, and the mystery underneath the story was played for all it was worth with no copout at the end. Like I said, this is worth a hundred big studio horror movies. Highly recommended.
Icon Entertainment presents Triangle. Directed by: Christopher Smith. Starring: Melissa George, Michael Dorman, Rachael Carpani, Henry Nixon, Emma Lung, and Liam Hemsworth. Written by: Christopher Smith. Running time: 98 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on DVD: February 2, 2010. Available at Amazon.com
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