Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you’re a horror fan.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 82 min (~1.5 hours)
“Harbinger Down” is a horror film with science fiction elements. It revolves around an alien creature that’s trapped on a ship along with its crew, and their subsequent efforts to survive. It stars Lance Henriksen (Graff), Camille Balsano (Sadie Graff), Matt Winston (Stephen), Reid Collums (Bowman), Milla Bjorn (Svet), Winston James Francis (Big G), Mike Estime (Dock), and Edwin Bravo (Atka). It is rated NC-16.
“Harbinger Down” has this straightforward, innocent take to the horror genre that’s reminscent of films from the previous generation. That’s not to say it’s not gritty or serious, but it feels less complicated and more focused on the objective of the movie – which is to bring your nightmares to life. The fact that it’s also completely devoid of digital effects makes it an even more authentic and genuine effort at the horror genre, which shines through in the movie proper.
Highlights
More unease than cheap scares
The scare techniques for this film lend itself to this subtle sense of dread, rather than the standard heart attack scares that are a staple of today’s horror films. Rather than scare you with the unexpected appearance of the alien, it instils awe and terror with the seeming invincibility of the antagonist. This helps you to appreciate the effort put into the special effects, rather than just mentally defending yourself against the next scare.
Refreshing practical effects
It’s entertaining and delightful to see effects that don’t have the flawless perfection of CGI. The use of practical effects gives the alien creatures in the show a feel that’s more raw and real than most digital effects would create. And it also helps in the performances as well, giving the actors tangible effects to interact with results in a more believable delivery of lines and emotions. It’s a worthwhile investment to have gone for practical effects all the way, and pays off handsomely in the final product.
Sense of claustrophobia
The film takes place mostly in the confines of an enclosed ship, and this contributes to the feeing of entrapment that the characters face. They’re essentially locked in a dungeon with an alien creature they cannot fathom, and this contributes to the eerie atmosphere in the film. It’s not so much about the big shocks and surprise frights as it is about the fear of the unknown – when will the alien strike next?
Letdowns
Hammy dialogue
Unfortunately, the dialogue is on the nose and rather literal, with little room for subtlety. There’s no subtext in the exchanges, and there’s little characterization of the protagonists beyond superficial differences. It’s not a necessity in a horror film, but a bit more polish to the lines would have worked wonders.
Dated music
Perhaps the choice of soundtrack is to add to the classic feel of the movie, what with the shooting style and practical effects. Unfortunately, it ends up making the movie dated, especially the background music used during the horror scenes. It’s a stylistic choice, but one that doesn’t contribute to the movie’s classic feel in a positive way.
“Harbinger Down” is a throwback to an earlier age of horror films, with a sense of nostalgia to the techniques and effects. For horror fans, this is a film that will be well appreciated for the effort put in.
“Harbinger Down” opens 13 August, 2015 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo.
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