Intriguing premise, poor execution

Rating: Null/10 (8 March 2000)

This movie epitomizes all that has gone wrong with a gore-crazed Hollywood. An interesting premise, where the concept of Hell and Evil have to be completely re-evaluated and re-analyzed for their depth of horrors leads the viewer's imagination to really open up to terrifying possibilities, and to expect a well made movie exploring this concept. However in the latter half, the plot just collapses and resorts to cheap and ridiculous gore as a scare, found more frequently in movies of the Wes Craven calibre. When will Hollywood realize that true horror is something you imagine and not actually see? Perhaps they worry that they would lose the mainstream audience if they didn't throw in some standard horror film blood and guts? A complete disappointment, considering Sam Neill's otherwise illustrious career. I would give it an 8 for the first half and about 2 for the second. Perhaps this movie should have been released with a PG13 rating and spared us all the anticipation and the eventual anti-climax!