"Save yourself...from hell"

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2010)

To this day, "Event Horizon" is THE scariest horror science fiction film i have ever witnessed!
I was 14 years old when I first watched this film on video and to put it lightly...it scared the shiz out of me! I loved it!!! Now 12 years later a finally purchase the film on DVD (ordered from the states as I can't find it anywhere in New Zealand) and I watched it with a couple friends who have never seen it before. Suddenly I was 14 again! A scared child, too frightened to look away from the screen. Caught in an icy grip of fear and excitement! A feeling I haven't felt since the first viewing of 'Event Horizon'. Brilliant! I jumped in all the same scenes I jumped in 12 years ago and i was so absolutely absorbed in this film. My friends felt the same way i did and we all sat on the same couch with the lights off while this film quietly terrified us!
Now I'm not exactly a huge horror movie enthusiast as i find most horror films to be stupid, cheesy and just not scary in the slightest. Horror films now are especially ridiculous as that "Saw" series (when will it end?) is just silly and repetitive which is a shame as the first film is a pretty descent thriller, which seems to be another problem for horror films is that there are too many sequels with each film becoming further and further detached from the original making the whole premise and idea of the film pointless and boring.
Which is exactly the reason "Event Horizon" works. It is a stand-alone film. No sequels. No actual killer as such...it is the presence of an unseen evil which corrupts the characters into becoming warped and ultimately the cause of their own demise. For a horror film the kill count is surprisingly low and no one actually dies during the first hour of the film. It's the suspense of the film and the actual idea behind it which is so un-believable frightening that you find yourself absorbed and un-able to look away from the screen....gripped in fear. That's why this film is so brilliant. The cast is great. It's not overly convoluted. It's scary beyond belief. The story is good enough to keep the viewers attention and adrenaline pumping and the special effects have held up surprisingly well for a film that was filmed back in 1997.
I really wish there was a Director's cut edition of this film.
If you've seen this film and you were not frightened...you are either really warped, lying, or talked all the way through it. i suggest a re-watch by yourself with the lights off and all other distractions (laptop, cellphone) switched off as well and just sit and watch...I guarantee fear will gnaw at you eventually.
And if you enjoyed this film, you should also check out "Pandorum" as it is also fairly good, though not quite in the same league as "Event Horizon".
"Liberate tutame...ex inferis."