Best horror movie around right now...

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2006)

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a hell of a lot from this. I was hoping for a lot - because I do like it when they get horror right (and it doesn't happen very often) and I really enjoyed Dog Soldiers, Neil Marshall's previous offering - but I was half expecting to be disappointed. Thankfully though, I was very pleasantly surprised.
If you've seen Dog Soldiers, forget about it for the purposes of this movie - the two aren't even vaguely similar. The earlier work is very tongue in cheek and a good laugh; this one is tense, gripping and jump-out-of-your-seat scary at times. It's not scary in a Shining or a Ring kind of way - it won't get under your skin like those do - but it will have you on the edge of your seat, make you feel deeply uncomfortable and made me jump a mile on several occasions.
The acting is very good - don't listen to these people who are saying the actors phoned in their performances. It's not Oscar-worthy stuff by any means but they're unknowns who do a very good job of becoming distinct, realistic people and making you give a crap what happens as the story unfolds. An essential part of any decent horror movie.
I watched this and Wolf Creek in fairly quick succession and actually think this is the better movie. Wolf Creek goes a little too far for my liking, and the main characters in that - far more prestigious - movie are so frustrating that there are times you kind of want them to die. This doesn't do that. This is far less realistic but handled extremely well. I'm looking forward to Neil Marshall's next offering.