Triangle

A small boat capsizes in the see and the people aboard must go to a large ship for help. But this ship is empty, with the exception of a lone killer acting out of unexplained motives... and then the plot goes from mundane to bizarre.

This film is written and directed by Christopher Smith, who made a few waves with his 2006 film "Severance". I think this is really going to be his break-out project, so long as enough people catch it. The plot is intelligent and tight, the directing is masterful, and the cast is kept in line.

Melissa George has been praised for this film, and I think that's fair. She has up until now been very second fiddle, and despite good performances in films like "Amityville Horror", never really got her due. This film is it -- she is front and center for the entire running time, showing her most anguished character possible.

There are few problem with this film. It does run a bit long, but not so long that it's unbearable... the first twenty minutes are bland, but it picks up after that. The biggest problem, which is unfortunate, is that this film was released after "Timecrimes"... and there are some similarities, even if minor, and critics will jump on this. But, if anything, this made me enjoy the film more rather than less, because it was like reliving the mindbend that "Timecrimes" gave me.

I completely endorse this film, and strongly recommend it to any horror or suspense fan. You may enjoy the subtle references to "The Shining", or simply the interesting and deep plot. And, at least as I write this (August 2010), the film is an instant play on Netflix, so you do not have to go out of your way to find it.

A sudden electrical storm hits a group of young friends out on a yacht for the day, capsizing it and leaving them drifting. When the large cruise ship Aeolus passes by, they are rescued and climb aboard only to find that the ship is deserted. They wander around the ship feeling more uneasy as they go, until someone wearing a sack and carrying a shotgun starts trying to kill them all.

The plot summary sounds simple enough not only do we know what genre territory we are in but we also know where it is all going to go and what it is going to do as it goes there. I actually sat braced for a slasher horror movie (not really my type of thing) and for the first thirty minutes things are quite scary, with the "sack killer" being creepy and threatening in the way all mysterious and creepy characters are in this type of villain (those who have seen the Orphanage will understand how creepy a static figure in a sack can be). On this ground the film works very well and the tension is palatable to the point where we can appreciate why Jess starts going crazy. The film then shifts the plot in a way that is very engaging and also very weird; it is best for me not to discuss it too much because it is all the better to try and keep up with it and then spend time afterwards thinking about it and talking about it.

It does have plot holes and it will not satisfy all viewers but I found that the open nature of it is all part of it and writer/director Smith does help us understand what is going on in the way he names the ship and also makes a point of having the story partially explained by the characters when they first board the ship and see its name. It doesn't totally make sense and some things are deliberately left unknown (or at least "uncertain") but it is a great ride that mostly delivers on the way to a very downbeat ending (although you'll know that is not really the case when you watch it).

It is driven forward by Smith's direction making everything claustrophobic and thrilling, even as it becomes more confusing. Melissa George is a massive part of it to though. Her performance is great throughout and she is convincingly disturbed, weird, disturbed and numb as the script requires – her madness is both understandable and alienating. The rest of the cast are not quite as good but this is not really a problem because George and the script are really all that matters.

Triangle is a film you will hear about from people who have seen it and, despite its flaws, it will have stuck in their mind. Hopefully they will not tell you too much about it because the twisty mind-funk is all part of it. It is flawed due to plot holes though but it is hard to really dislike the film for them – particularly when you realise that any problems you have with how the story ends are more to do with how/where the film starts.

I just came back from the world premiere at FrightFest in London, it was the festival opener as well so expectations were high and it didn't disappoint! Much better than Creep and Severance, this is Christopher Smith's most ambitious film. A mind-bending story that is as puzzling as it is original, Triangle is more a mystery than a horror movie in my opinion. Gorehounds will be sorely disappointed. This is more about a situation which becomes more and more surreal, almost dream-like, I thought during the film that I've had similar nightmares as a kid... nightmares going around in circles and getting more and more frightening because I knew when or how the monster would inevitably come back...

The plot (no spoilers): after their yacht is overturned during a freak storm, a group of friends are desperate for help. A cruise ship suddenly appears and they see a figure looking down at them from the bridge for a few seconds. They climb on board but there is no crew, no passengers, nothing. Saying anything more would be ruining the movie, so I'll stop here.

After the movie ended in a round of applause, Christopher Smith said that it took him 2 years to write the script, and in the end it's not surprising as this is a very complex plot and to make all the pieces fall into place must have been a daunting task! Good acting by Melissa George and the rest of the cast, but her haunting performance takes center stage very quickly as the movie goes on a WTF / Twilight Zone-ish mode. All in all I recommend it, I really enjoyed it and it kept me guessing the whole time so if you like unconventional, mind-f*** movies, this is one for you!

"You're just having a bad dream. That's all baby. It's all it was. Bad dreams make you think you've seen things that you haven't." 

Triangle is a very good movie about Melissa George's perfect legs, and how they...wait, let me try this again. 

Triangle is actually an effective, intelligent, layered horror/thriller (starring Melissa George's perfect legs). I can't go into the story very much, as there's not much detail that can be given out with ruining it. I'll just say that a curiously detached young mother and a group of people go out sailing one gorgeous day, get caught in a storm, and find themselves shipwrecked. A massive approaching ocean liner appears to bring salvation, but once they're on-board, it seems strangely deserted. Soon people start dying, and the plot takes a sharp left turn that puts it at a cut above the typical slasher flick that Triangle seems to be at first glance. 

I'll admit that I was a little underwhelmed by the movie at first, but it definitely gets much better as it goes along. I really have to give the movie credit for how clever and ambitious it attempts (and succeeds) to be. The best description of Triangle I can give without ruining anything is a combination of The Shining and Donnie Darko, with a really hot lead actress. It's mind-bending in just the right way. There were lots of different points that the story could have fallen apart and stopped making sense, but that never happened. By the end, there are no loose ends. And I'll add that the title is particularly meaningful. 

If you're open-minded, attentive, and ready for something slightly different, chances are that you'll love this movie. I certainly enjoyed it.

I went to see Triangle on a whim hoping it might be thrilling, entertaining or fun at least. I love it when a film exceeds your expectations like Triangle did.

Mellissa George stars as the lead in a small cast of young people on a yachting break off the coast of Florida who encounter a mysterious ship with no passengers after their yacht is upturned.

What follows is a complex and superbly written mystery that unfolds at a perfect pace. I spent most of the movie trying to work out what was going on, trying to piece together all the elements of the storyline. Christopher Smith has clearly spent a long time putting this film together with an intricately crafted deal of detail. I was gripped from the moment the yacht capsized.

The lead performance is excellent, superbly holding the plot together; and the supporting cast are more than passable. If you're looking for something a little different and you're happy to pay close attention to detail for an hour and a half, then I can thoroughly recommend Triangle as an original, well written and directed mystery that will keep you guessing until the final scene.

8/10.