Review of The Midnight Meat Train (2008) by Samer A — 17 Nov 2011

First of all, this wasn't a bad film. But in my opinion, there were too many ups and downs for it to be genuinely great. The camera work was very good, lots of horizontal lines and movements; the sound was great too - the lack of sound effects in some scenes gave it the perfect suspense factor; but, the best part of it was the twist at the end. I'd never read Clive Barker's short story of the same name, so I really wasn't expecting what happened. In addition, Vinnie Jones is the perfect butcher.

Unfortunately, I have several complaints: 1) There is an abundance of CGI which definitely detracts from the aesthetic value of the movie... frankly, it really looks stupid - it's nearly laughable in some scenes. If it were "real" (practical) blood and guts, it would be not only more believable, but more aesthetically pleasing. 2) The minor characters are horrible actors. Really it doesn't matter too much, but it always is a distraction when one can tell that the actors are trying too hard. 3) The sexual tension is irrelevant. 4) The movie can become too predictable, especially when a focal character gets on the train...

All in all, I would recommend watching it - just don't get your hopes up.

6/10.