An engrossing horror and science-fiction amalgram with plenty of scares.

Rating: Null/10 (27 December 1998)

A somewhat conventional science-fiction horror film that reflects upon earlier efforts such as Alien (1979), et al. is still a fascinating thriller that will keep your heart beating in anticipation. Event Horizon is a well polished thriller that owes a little too much to the science-fiction and horror concepts of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Event Horizon is a spaceship with the capabilities to "travel faster than the speed of light." In the year 2040 though, the Event Horizon has lost contact. Seven years later, a rescue mission aboard the U.S.S. Lewis and Clark is charged with bringing the crew and the entire ship of the Event Horizon back. Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) is in charge of the operation. A British scientist, Dr. Weir (Sam Neill), haunted by the memories of his deceased wife, Claire, which are planted inside his deepest thoughts must join Miller and his crew for he was the one that designed the spaceship, Event Horizon. The rest of the cast consists of Peters (Kathleen Quinlain), and Justin, a rookie technician. Also, a psychologist, a pilot, and a wisecracking rescue technician round out the remaining cast.
Dr. Weir has a lot of explaining to do about the Event Horizon to the entire modley of the U.S.S. Lewis and Clark. Many have found his scientific possibilites to be implausible, but Weir claims that the spaceship can travel beyond the capabilities of any normal spacecraft transporation. Eventually, the Lewis and Clark rescue squad does manage to bump into the Event Horizon, coincidentally. They travel inside, only to fail finding any lifeforms or survivors. Dr. Weir and Capt. Miller then discover the "core" of the Event Horizon, which allow it to travel back and forth through any fabric of time and space. However, this leads to nightmarish consequences...
The new crew of the U.S.S. Lewis and Clark then suddenly see "hallucinations" of their deepest, darkerst secrets. Right in front of their eyes, members of the Lewis and Clark see their past coming back to haunt them. Dr. Weir thinks his wife is back to comfort him. Capt. Miller sees a violent, burning image of one of his dead comrades walking. Peters sees her own son, Denny, running around the Event Horizon loose. The crew loses their cool and breaks down. Dr. Weir goes insane, and one by one, the crew members succumb to the Event Horizon's awesome powers...
Event Horizon is a decent amalgram of both the sci-fi and horror genres. What's great about this film is that it's never predictable; surprises jump you from left to right, above and below. The special effects are very good, and this film has a surreal, imaginative atmospehere that gives a breathtaking albeit claustrophobic fear.
Event Horizon is a very freaky film that's not for the faint of heart. It is very bloody at times though rather messy. Event Horizon is a fine horror film that's a good treat for aficionados of deviant films. It is wickedly scary and the films shows what's it like when people are forced to relive their own nightmares. This film lack logic and sense so if you're looking for comprehension, look elsewhere. Event Horizon may not take sci-fi-horror films to new horizons, but it will take the audience into new realms of fantasy and illusion, where evil dominates.
RATING: **1/2 out of ****.