The Dyatlov Pass Incident

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.

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.

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!

As a "found footage" lover, I appreciated this clever contribution to the genre. The movie was cautiously arranged, but, more significantly, it perfectly justified all the conventional features of f.f. horrors; The setting is fascinating and the adventurous spirit of the characters is inspiring. It all goes smoothly until the end : the final plot twist ruins everything. The visual effects in that scene are kindly considerable as "cheap" , so shockingly bad that the lack of technical quality ends up covering the actual meaning of the last sequence. Beyond this controversial point, the movie is generally thrilling and worth watching. I remember feeling pleasantly challenged as it began : I kept asking myself what kind of tragedy was going to happen to the group of hikers. A storm? Wild monsters? No, nothing like it. Let's conclude by saying that this movie was an absolute surprise.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"The Dyatlov Pass Incident" is nothing more than a true story + "The Blair Witch Project" + crap. The setting is good, i loved snowy Russian mountains. The actor also did a very good job, they are in this place and they are playing it straight, no one is acting out "oh we are in a found footage film" - they are there, USA + Russian production also feels kind a fresh, especially in these kind a movies. Sure, it's not a new The Blair Witch Project" movie, it doesn't come close to it.

Overall, if you are looking for some new "found footage" movie, this one not that bad at all.