Review – Event Horizon

Here we have an odd little mix of Alien-style sci fi and Barker-esque horror all rolled into one. The basic plot is that humanity’s first faster-than-light ship has returned not from deep space as expected but rather from a journey to the hell dimension. After awhile the whole show starts to reek of Hellraiser, especially toward the end when Sam Neil starts waltzing around with his head bedecked in linear lacerations (sans nails, at least). But despite this generally derivative character, the film manages a few genuine chills. And for a picture wedged so completely in this particular genre, the truly amazing part is that some of the best moments are genuinely understated or at least only briefly glimpsed rather than lavishly paraded across the screen until they wear thin. Mildly amusing