Not a bad pseudo-documentary with an incomprehensible monster from the tunnel.
Of the disadvantages, we can name only a somewhat drawn-out part with comments from surviving journalists and mediocre acting (this greatly affects the desire to empathize with the characters).
Characters. Nothing new, all the same not too smart journalists who went where no one asked them to go. They do not care about their safety and go ahead for the best personnel. But they are all quite spelled out, both characters and relationships in the group, so it is interesting to watch their misadventures.
The story. The fact that we did not really explain what the creature is, and why she likes to deal with people in this way (I will not spoil), I really liked it. Who said that people who are in such a difficult situation should definitely find out what this is about? We got out and fine.
The bogey herself is damn cool. Clumsy, incomprehensible, then barely wanders in this underground puddle, then a black storm sweeps away a person. And also, it seemed to me that this monster really made fun of the victims (again, I will not give examples, you will see everything yourself), so, apparently, he has some rudiments of reason, but this is so, think aloud.
In general, I highly recommend all fans of the subgenre.
"The Blair Witch." Pseudo-documentary film, which could not boast of an impressive budget, but which managed to break the box office, cause a stormy reaction from the public and instill a love for films of this genre. Yes, of course, “The Blair Witch” is perceived as ambiguous and for some it can be the most terrible horror movie, while for others – a perfect remedy for insomnia. But that's not what this is about. Now we are talking about the fact that in recent years, literally as if by leaps and bounds, films began to appear in the genre of horrors with a twist under pseudo-documentary and which, in addition to such imitation, can not surprise or please. Don't you? Well, then let me introduce our guest today, the Tunnel.
And this film, like many of its minions, claims to be based on real events. And you know -- I believe that statement. I believe that a bunch of autistic journalists have decided to get into abandoned tunnels where people, mostly homeless people, disappear without a trace. I believe that four people did not bother to take phosphorus candles, first aid kit, pepper spray, or firearms. I believe they didn't tell anyone where they were going so they would be searched if they got lost in the subway tunnels. And I also believe that the heroes of the story did not enlist the help of a traveler who is familiar with both new subway tunnels and old tunnels. I am a trusting person, so let them.
Another thing - what spurred the heroes of our glorious in search of adventure? And everything rests on the fact that in the glorious city of Sydney there was a drought and in order to somehow solve the problem with water supply, a project was put forward to pump water out of the subway tunnels. But like any good undertaking, the business was abandoned halfway - the homeless were driven out of the abandoned tunnels, and they did not dare to pump out the water. Why? There are rumors that people are missing. That's ridiculous! People are disappearing all over the world, and then a couple of dozen people are missing and the government has canceled all its plans. Well, let people and animals die of thirst, because in the tunnels the boogeyman wanders, ooh!
So our heroes did not believe in such nonsense, and therefore decided to get into the abandoned tunnels and film everything on camera. Tell the world the truth, yeah. Well, the heroes got in there and, oh horror, found a homeless man with glowing eyes, who will start chasing them in a vain attempt to get at least a little change. It’s time to start panicking, yes.
In fact, the story is essentially quite typical and it could be seen what is called in the table, and then forget about the existence of this film completely, if not for one significant “but”. And it lies in the fact that the creators of the film decided to go too deep into documentary literature, forgetting that they are shooting an artistic product. I'll try to explain it on my fingers. The first twenty minutes of the movie, nothing happens. No, seriously, we are just told about Sydney, about the government, which seems to want to do something, but can not, and about the characters, whose characters are not even really revealed. Of course, it would be possible to enjoy the scenery of Sydney if... yes, if it wasn’t a pseudo-documentary movie with a shaking camera, which is kind of in the clutches of a professional cameraman, rather than a student, which is the first time he saw a camera. Okay, no point. Much more interesting is that the film, from time to time (in my opinion too often), is interrupted by footage where the survivors talk about both themselves and their feelings that they were visited at the time. And all would be fine if they had any emotion to say all this. But no, the actors pronounce the memorized text in an absolutely emotionless voice and do not change in the face. You could say, "Hey, it's been a few years, they've calmed down and accepted what happened!" But no. When a person is faced with the tragedy associated with the death of their loved ones, then this cannot be forgotten. This can be seen at least in the eyes. Moreover, the heroes faced a budget version of Slenderman, and this will not be forgotten, even if you really want to. But it's not even about lousy acting, oh no. If this was the only thing, then you could safely close your eyes to what is happening. The thing is that these kinds of interviews, khem, appear spontaneously, and in the most unexpected places. Here the characters run down the corridor and immediately a survivor appears, who in a morbid voice says what feelings they felt at that moment. As a result, the atmosphere, if any, was present in this film, finally collapses.
Yes, it would certainly be possible to mention the gloomy subway tunnels, which at times looked quite stylish, if the surroundings were paid a little more attention and if most of the film did not take place in complete darkness. It would be possible to mention the local barabika, because the creators themselves did not know that they released from the backyard of their sick imagination, where the heroes of the picture, and with him the viewer. But the truth is that the Ostraludin will appear only in a couple of scenes in which it is not clear at all what is happening, except that you can hear screams, and the camera at this time is aimed at the soles of the sneakers of the main characters. Boring and boring, good gentlemen.
Outcome? My respected colleagues throw enthusiastic epithets in the direction of this film and recommend reading the film at leisure. I won't do that. Just because a pseudo-documentary should try to look and behave a little smarter than the average horror movie. In the same film, the heroes of the story are detached from real life as much as possible. I didn’t see any living people in this movie. I saw creatures trying to imitate them, but it turns out they are so bad that even the creature from Necht would put two points. I’m not going to break that tradition.
I have watched more than a dozen films in the genre of pseudo-documentary, and still meet those who find something new. In this picture, this innovation is the manner of presentation of the plot, namely staging and editing in the form of inserts with interviews with surviving heroes.
On the one hand, this is not quite usual for such a genre ("Fourth kind" will leave a little aside), but on the other hand, the intrigue disappears. You know who is alive and who is dead. At least the director tried to use something of his own, another question is whether it was necessary to shoot this tape at all.
It's hard to answer unequivocally. Of course, there are already ten three similar paintings that have already become boring to the audience. But if you think about it, not everyone is such a fan of the genre. For example, for a casual viewer, any such film can seem very scary.
As for this picture, it still catches something. Many people here write that the monster was shown three times in the entire film, but on the other hand, the better. It is impossible to invent something more terrible than what the imagination can draw, and each viewer can imagine something of his own, and, therefore, be frightened in a special way. I never even flinched, though. I am not a casual spectator, but rather a biased one.
Of the drawbacks, I note that there is too little action in the picture, something interesting begins only by the thirtieth minute. It is also worth saying that we are not explained what this creature is chasing heroes, and for what reason.
There are no technical questions about the film. You can see that it is largely low-budget, but also acting, and the work of operators at a height. I also like the music, especially the final soundtrack.
In general, we have a generally good and atmospheric Australian horror film in the mocumentary genre. True, I can advise him only to an impartial viewer, that is, not a fan of this genre, since there is nothing outstanding in the picture.
5 out of 10
The stated atmosphere of the film: gloomy Catacombs ...
Indeed, under Sydney there is a small secret city – “Collectorgrad”, in which another life flows, invisible to the outside world, padded with material goods and conveniences. The poor and the homeless find shelter here.
The atmosphere recreated in the frame - definitely puts pressure on the psyche - is gray, crumbling from time to time walls; a dusty void, clad in the frozen mud of time. There is a lack of oxygen, the air of the film is saturated with dampness, the smell of impurity and a long echo of doom hanging in it. Who's doomed? Homeless people who are forced to exist in a collector, where people disappear from time to time. Heroes who went where you do not need to go?
There are four heroes, but they are alone in the confrontation with the underground labyrinths of death - this atmosphere is conveyed magnificently. I was terrified when I imagined myself walking through these catacombs.
But even the thought of wandering lost heroes in the darkness of the collector already causes goosebumps. So the atmosphere is maintained at the proper level.
Heroes: a charismatic journalist with feminist habits. On a hike through the tubes in the dungeon, she is accompanied by three men who do not stand out with any special qualities.
The main drawback of the film, I think, is the wrong composition. The director went overboard, trying to make a “new” in the genre of pseudo-documentary horrors, investing one “documentary” in another. I'll explain. The inner shell of the film is documentary material about the events of the past, recorded by the characters directly during their wanderings through the catacombs. The outer shell of the film is documentary material, but in which the surviving heroes sit in the studio in real time and comment on their past adventures in the dungeons.
It turned out a “documentary film about the past in the present”, and the main intrigue for me is whether the journalist will survive, the director personally killed, showing this couple in the present.
Suspense is set by the initial shots, when the audio of the rescue service from a desperately screaming and scared to the devil woman – the same journalist who went with friends to explore the ruins of the catacombs.
The director offers one intrigue - who is the "evil"? It is worth watching the whole movie for.
Sydney authorities want to solve the problem with the water supply by cleaning and using water accumulated in old underground reservoirs. But they're not saying anything. It seems that this project is very profitable for them to implement, but for some reason they can not do it.
And I was very surprised that under the outer shell of Sydney there is a small city of homeless people, sheltered under the cover of the earth in old collector tunnels. At the beginning of the film, one of the characters proudly declares: “We are not some third world country!” They have, you know, a developed civilization. What a duality! We have an excellent contrasting scenery - a metropolis of an economically developed country, and under it in the collectors rots - a whole City Doomed to the homeless. It turns out that those at the top do not care about those at the bottom. And the homeless, judging by the logic of the events taking place in the film, really a lot, do not forget – that the homeless methodically “destroys/abducts”. Something, but it still does not become less. Investigate the cause of the mysterious disappearances and sent to the catacombs journalist and her friends.
The question is: why don’t the Sydney authorities go broke to build a shelter for the poor? Thus, collectors are released without prejudice to anyone. For this purpose, the treasury will not have to be ruined. It is the municipality’s business to allocate an old, abandoned building (hospitals or factories) for a shelter, and kind-hearted residents of this “non-third world country”, which includes a humanist journalist, will share a penny for charity – and they will pay for repairs, and a mutual aid fund for the homeless will be created. And everyone will have drinking water! Profitable, no cost and everyone is happy!
And the inaction of the authorities does not lend itself to logic. Drinking water is a very important and valuable resource. And if this resource literally “walls” under their feet, and only Something from the collector prevents it from being taken away, the existence of which the authorities know, it would be more profitable to call a detachment of Australian special forces, a group of scientists-researchers, psychics, and even fortune tellers, and it would be normal to deal with this Something, if it really exists there, and for the homeless to build a normal shelter.
Overall, I’m not disappointed with this film, but I can see that it could have been even more intense and dynamic.
No second bottom, no psychology. Fear for the sake of fear.
If the paranormal phenomenon could not be taken seriously (day scenes look good, up to the disappearance of the boundary between documentary and artistic, but night scenes abound with strings, which are obviously pulled. All because of the lack of action, then everything is right.
Much more elaborate characters, much more effective special effects (and not very expensive, as far as I can tell).
There are even really beautiful shots, which is rare for the genre (sub-genre with cheap soap boxes instead of professional equipment).
We didn't understand anything, we didn't take anything. A simple journey into the depths of terror and, not without loss, back.
Despite a couple of shameful jump-scares, I don’t want to scold the film. Too good scenery, too well sustained Those long sweating and chilling seconds, for which this film is worth watching.
The idea of “the camera was in the wrong place” is simply chic. Too bad it didn't work for 100. The reason for this is the constant inserts “from the studio”, which add “discovery realism”, but greatly reduce tension. The rhythm suffers.
For lovers of industrial tourism, viewing is mandatory, the aesthetic is the same.
The genre of pseudo-documentary horror, which received a second life with the release of the popular Paranormal phenomenon, continues to develop at a rapid pace. This method of shooting has long gone beyond the United States and filmmakers from different countries have created their extraordinary projects. Naturally, not all such films deserve persistent audience attention, but the Australian film directed by Carlo Ledesma is one of the most atmospheric and intriguing horrors of recent times. You can see that the film has a small budget, the actors are not stars, and the external effects are not brought to the extravaganza, but nevertheless the film looks almost in one breath. And let the viewer know from the very beginning which of the group of researchers survived in the sinister tunnels, this experience for the outcome of the investigation does not diminish.
The story told in the painting by Ledesma begins too large-scale, as for such a genre. As we learn from the chronicle, the authorities of Australia’s largest city, Sydney, are facing a water supply problem. However, the solution comes from an unexpected side - huge tunnels were built under the city during World War II, used as bunkers, military warehouses and test sites. Over time, the military purpose of the facilities ended and in part of the tunnels launched subway branches. But this is only a small part of a huge structure. Most of the underground areas remain a mystery to people. But one thing became clear - at the bottom of the tunnels accumulates a huge amount of water suitable for filtration and drinking. And for its injection and processing, the authorities are ready to invest a lot of money. The attention of the public thanks to journalists is increasingly focused on the tunnels. Strange events that take place in the tunnels begin to come out – the disappearance of homeless people, the attack of an unexplained creature on children walking nearby, etc. And for the sake of another sensation, disgraced journalist Natasha Warner gathers a small group of colleagues (Steve, Peter and Tangles) to go to the abandoned tunnels and find answers to the questions that concern the people - what the abandoned catacombs hide and whether they pose a danger to civilized society.
Although this film is not very popular, this does not mean that it is not worth watching. “Tunnel” is a really intriguing film that brilliantly conveyed the atmosphere of an abandoned hopeless labyrinth and opened the real fear of people before the unknown. Much of the film’s success lies on the shoulders of the actors. Nominally the main of them are Bel Delia (Natasha) and Steve Miller (Steve), on behalf of which the narrative is conducted. They easily managed to convey the truth of their heroes, who are good friends in the world, and in the dark tunnels, despite everything, they still try to help each other, and turning the unknowns on their backs. The characters of the heroes develop especially interestingly when dark monsters begin to attack them. You forget that you watch a feature film and begin to believe in the experiences of the characters. The general location where the events take place was also interesting – the tunnels turned out to be surprisingly diverse, so you can call the picture in moderation spectacular. Rooms change quite rapidly, the characters behave believably, well, hidden in the night monsters, only glimpsed in the frame bring a frightening atmosphere to apogee!
Of course, if desired, you can find many templates and secondary features in the Tunnel, but here they do not affect the overall impression of viewing. This is one of the best horror films in Australia in recent years and it is definitely worth watching.
9 out of 10
Again, this strange pseudo-documentary. While watching the movie, I found myself thinking, ‘Would you turn it off quickly and do something more interesting?’ A phenomenally boring movie. You can't call him scary. Yes, in this genre there are films worthy of attention, for example, “Report”, “Grave Seekers”. But this one is not in comparison with them.
The question arises about the plot: “Why was it necessary to show us interviews with the main characters, with their story about events, where we can find out who will be alive?” It’s a big mistake because when you know who’s going to be saved, what’s the point of watching a movie? The most “heat” during watching horrors from the fact that you do not know what awaits next, when everything is already predictable, it becomes terribly boring. Again, what they tried to scare us with in the film, some incomprehensible creatures, are so indistinct and uninteresting as the characters that you are surprised that this film even fell into the horror genre. Now the possibilities of special effects are limitless, it is not difficult to show something frightening even at not very high costs. But here apparently decided not to focus on this, but on the plot, which is based on real events. Which is also a big question.
I admit there was something going on in Sydney in 2007 when they decided to open an abandoned tunnel, and the rumors about who was wandering around are quite credible. But... How do we know for sure that the story of these four journalists is reliable, especially what they filmed there? We do not see them in their works, but in their works. Therefore, you do not imbue with the idea of a film based on real events, because everything is filmed as if indistinct, wretched and predictable. Playing actors also leaves much to be desired.
I was very unhappy with the film. The idea was excellent, as they say, fate sent it, if all this was really as shown. But with the incarnation, it was greatly reduced.
After the recently released underground thrash V/H/S, which, frankly, struck me in the best sense of the word, I decided to go through other films in the genre of “mocumentaries”. And the emphasis was not on the sensational tapes like “Report” and “Paranormal phenomenon”, but on the little-known creations of “underground”. Because, as practice has shown, there is just everything delicious. And here's the movie Tunnel. By this film I, the underground “with experience”, could not pass.
From the first shots it becomes clear that we are not the classic “hey, let me shine, and you shoot”. The film is made in the form of a documentary TV show, but not the “yellow” format of TV3 a la “incredible, but a fact”, but like those that showed about the sensational catastrophes – interviews with victims and, of course, footage from the scene. This approach, especially in this genre, of course, has a big drawback - almost immediately we understand who will die and who will remain alive. But here, I believe, it is an acceptable sacrifice - originality and effectiveness are more important. In addition, this original spoiler only adds life, realism to the film and does not make the film any less scary. And he is, to say the least, really scary. It takes all the best from the old Blair Witch and is seasoned with a truly frightening atmosphere of abandoned underground utilities. And frightening images, of course. What was so lacking "The Witch..." - for once to show some horror in the frame - here it will be. No overdoses, no expensive "effectual" things, just a dark silhouette in the blackness of the corridor - and you are already firmly clinging to the handle of the chair. And then your eyes will sparkle, and you will find out how fast underground creatures can be.
And more. For the sake of interest, I decided to watch one moment of the appearance of the “monster” frame-by-frame, in order to better see it. I was surprised to find that he was not there. A scene that dynamically looks very spectacular is actually a collection of (seemingly) random shots. And in this regard, my low bow to the editor. Once again, he proved that there is no better way to scare the viewer than to leave the "work" to his imagination.
I'll bet 9 out of 10. Minus one for one scene. I understand, to pay tribute to the genre, etc., but when I heard this notorious “i’m so, so sorry!” – I confess, I couldn’t stand it, I rusted. This moment looked painfully ridiculous even in the original source, and it was painfully well fixed in “Fake”. Everything else here is at the highest level. The atmosphere, the novelty, the images and, of course, the fear, are all present. What do you need for a great horror movie?
After watching the trailer, it seems that the characters are cut and kneaded at every step. But that's not exactly true. The main fear is the unknown (it is not known where they are going, whether there is a way out, who is there wandering in the dark and who has taken things and a friend). And, I must say, the general atmosphere is conveyed quite convincingly - endless catacombs, blood on the walls, despair at the realization that the map is useless.
Actually, the “underground evil” appears three times, and then in the form of a blurred silhouette in the lens of the night vision camera. At the same time, he is quite deft, quietly sneaks up and for some reason knows how to use the camera, rubs lanterns, although he is afraid of the light, and generally behaves in places very thoughtful, not like a savage, and sometimes - like a cornered rat. And it remained behind the scenes, what kind of beast this is and where it came from.
I was glad that the characters are shown primarily by people - no matter how scared they were, they still go in search of missing colleagues, clutching a flashing flashing flashing flashlight in a sweaty fist with fear. But it was not without stupidity - how to make a horror film without such a stamp as "I didn't tell anyone where and why we were going."
In general, if you look alone in the dark, the effect will be quite frightening. Places.
“We do not need to know where to go. We just need to get there. ?
Since when do self-respecting journalists use information from YouTube?
Do people live in such a wilderness where there is not enough imagination for normal material? Okay, let's say I was wondering what happened to the water conservation project. But to focus on some video on the Internet, which could be quite won - no, it is true childish naivety, I did not believe it. So the beginning is that the film is based on real events, the materials are in the police and blah blah blah - you can safely ignore, omit and laugh. For which I successfully shoot this film score.
Otherwise, I can say that the film turned out great. It is assembled competently, despite the fact that the shooting is in parts and from different cameras. Thanks to this, you watch what is happening in one breath and really want to believe that this is some kind of documentary and true story. Throughout the film, the tension is “something has to happen” and it is supported by well-chosen music. You didn’t have to use a lot of monsters (like in Rec) to feel the horror of the underground and seemingly endless tunnels.
And if you watch this movie in 3D, I think the effect on the viewer will be 100%.
Unknownness beckons, but nothing is worse than her.
Don’t watch the trailer before watching!
Quite by chance I came across this film, and really did not bother with the trailer - I included immediately, the benefit of the topic is interesting (I am fond of industrial tourism, including underground - not a mussel girl), and the genre of pseudo-documentary sometimes gives out very original works. I did not make a mistake – anywhere to climb (in the near future for sure) I will be extremely unpleasant.
I think that not without familiarization with the trailer, while watching there will be this terrible feeling of panic and uncertainty that awaits you around the corner. If you watch at night in the dark, you will admit that the “presence effect”, which such films usually lack, has undoubtedly succeeded here.
Watch not only fans of the genre pseudo-report, but all fans of good horror, because here, in my opinion, there is where to tickle your nerves.
Separately, I will note the soundtracks, especially the track under the final credits - the only album of this musical project immediately definitely falls into the gold bank. It creates the right atmosphere.