Review of Event Horizon (1997) by Conny A — 14 Nov 2010

Event Horizon is a surprisingly tense and frightening blend of sci-fi and horror which manages to make the most out of its reasonably simple premise. The film openly steals from a number of better films (Aliens, 2001, and Hellraiser, among others) but the end result is held together quite nicely thanks to its strong and well-rounded cast of familiar faces.

The first half is very effective at building tension, remaining firmly grounded in sci-fi territory until the final act, where the whole film transforms into pure, unrestrained horror. Paul W.S. Anderson demonstrates that he does in fact have some genuine skill as a director, offering what may be the strongest film of his otherwise disappointing career.

The characters all lack any genuine growth or development, especially Sam Neill's character who makes a rather unmotivated and unexpected change later in the film. Still, Event Horizon succeeds in its main goal: it manages to get under your skin, even if it feels like it's forcing its way in at times.

Parts are quite cheesy or contrived, but the whole thing comes together with a sense of unity, making it one of the best guilty pleasures to come along for the sci-fi genre.