Review of Altered (2006) by John O — 22 Jun 2008

I can't quite believe that this film was showing in a Manila cinema in June 2008. For one thing it was released in 2006 everywhere else, and for another it has direct-to-DVD written all over it.

Three rednecks capture an alien in the woods, wanting revenge for an incident 15 years ago when they were themselves abducted and experimented upon. They hole up with another of the abductees, who knows more about the aliens than anyone else. It's low budget stuff, with only two locations: forest and cabin. Lots of people wandering around in the dark to create tension, some nice gore effects, and a refreshing near-absence CGI (the alien is wisely hidden for most of the film). The negatives include a lack of any sympathetic characters and a confused storyline.

Basically it runs like a tribute to 1980s horror flicks, which is no bad thing in itself but it would be nice if it was a little more ambitious. I believe that it was directed by one of the guys responsible for Blair Witch Project, and he has done no other films since, but I would have thought he could rustle up something a bit more special. It's a decent rental but doesn't require the big screen.