El paso del diablo

I did not expect much from this movie but was really impressed by the authentic Russian language and atmosphere. Most films portray Russia poorly and actors butcher the language. The plot itself was definitely a stretch, but it was for Hollywood. I think it was a success, because if you hadn't known about the Dyatlov Pass Incident before watching this movie, then it definitely piqued your interest to do some further research!

And no, not every Russian speaks English over there! However, you will find wild dogs, humble bars/cafes, beautiful sites, and lots of history!

The Dyatlov Pass Incident has some good surprises in it.

First of it all, it has some good scaries. In a time where found footage movies are over satured, the director made a really good effort in this. Its not excellent, don't get me wrong. It passes pretty far from being original but its a solid fun for a Saturday night. The movie is a slow burn but the end is really good. The plot slowly start to make sense and when you finally discover whats really going on, you find yourself surprised with such a good plot in a horror movie. Secondly, its a kind a blair witch project in structure and style and this is not a bad thing, to me at least, cause blair witch is my favorite horror movie ever and in the end it looks like a tribute to me.

Lastly, if you like Blair witch but the end was lame to you, get this movie because its pretty much blair witch less scary but with better plot.

As a movie, especially one from the category of wobbly shaky camera films, it is not that bad. It's a cliché, from the start to the end, but you can't really blame it for not being the first to do what it does. I also know nothing about the Dyatlov incident and I suspect the movie has little to do with it, other than the name.

Weirdly enough, the name was what drew me to the film and I have no idea why someone would rename it blandly "Devil's Pass", which has absolutely nothing to do with the plot and is probably one of many movies to be thus named.

Anyway, the film: young maniacally happy Americans go to investigate, equipped with apparently a new type of recording device that needs no recharging, since it keeps going for days. They get there, die from various reasons which border from implausible to funny, then end in a kind of Twilight Zone way, with lots of bad CGI.

The idea wasn't really bad, either, just the execution. All in all, it was a classic hand held camera horror, without being scary, though. I liked the sci-fi twist to it all, but not the execution (or the characters, or the actors). I liked that they really went to a place where people actually spoke Russian, not mangled the language horribly in the hope that no viewer actually speaks it.

I can't rate it average. It had too many plot holes, bad cgi, etc. But it was close.

Overall, I was entertained by the film. Although I don't usually watch horror, I found that this one had enough to it that I could watch and enjoy it without being very disturbed. Granted, it is frightening at points, particularly the last third of the film, but it was paced well. The way this film takes the found-footage theme is quite well done with good twists and turns, keeping your attention. The acting is quite good, the characters were well-defined and funny when they wanted to be and the camera work is very well done. The visuals, background, camera-work and atmosphere are some of my favorite parts of the movie. It doesn't look like it's being recorded on a roller-coaster until it wants to and when it does, it does it very well, disorienting you until there is something it wants you to see. In conclusion, it is a well done movie, but it feels a hint rough when it comes to story. Pretty good concepts, but just a little rocky coming off. I would recommend watching it if you like found-footage films or if you like suspenseful horror.

The Dyatlov Pass Incident itself is a super intriguing incident and it is weird that no one else has made a fiction film about it before. I highly recommend reading up on it, if you haven't already.

This film on the hand is not... super intriguing, or indeed even recommended if you're looking for a theory about what happened on the Mountain of Death. It's not a terrible film, but it's not about the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Halfway through the film I decided to put what I know about what really happened aside and just watch the film.

It is a found footage film. Sort of. The camera stays steady mostly and it's easy to forget that it's supposed to be found footage, which, honestly, I find to be a good thing. No need for sea sickness medication.

The good: The middle part of the film is visually stunning, the views are just breathtaking and I found myself at one point craning my neck to see more. It's definitely the best part of the film.

The bad: The story wobbles all over the place and leaves loose ends. Touch of Russophobia, but no more than the average Hollywood film.

Overall: Fun little flick if you don't take it too seriously. Take it about half as seriously as it takes itself and discard anything it tries to tell you about the 1959 incident, and you'll enjoy it.