Review: The Triangle

Brit director Chris Smith (Creep, Severance) brings us a twisty turny paranoid mystery film set on a deserted ocean liner and starring Melissa George ….

Synopsis: When Jess sets sail on a yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong. Her suspicions are realized when the yacht hits a storm and the group is forced to board a passing ocean liner to get to safety, a ship Jess is convinced she’s been on before. The ship appears deserted, the clock on board has stopped, but they are not alone… Someone is intent on hunting them down, one by one. And Jess unknowingly holds the key to end the terror.

Review:Chris Smith has already brought us Creep (which I’ve not seen) and Severance (which I enjoyed) and he now has his third film out, the rather twisty paranoid, The Triangle, starring Melissa George.  The film opens with the introduction to the characters, with George’s Jess being front and centre, there are also 5 other members who are going to be out sailing the seas that afternoon. It is a rather slow-paced start as they enjoy the sea and sun and Smith tries to give the characters a bit of story and characterization. It sort of works, but I was sitting there waiting for the film to really kick into gear though. This eventually happens when a freak storm appear out of nowhere and wreaks the Yaught. After the storm has passed a mysterious ancient looking cruise liner, the SS Aeolus, appears out of no where and the crew board the ship.

This is where the film really starts to get into gear. The ship is a wonderful set, creepy, atmospheric and shot superbly by Smith and cinematographer Robert Humphreys. The ship is like an extra cast member. Jess starts to feel deja-vu, has she been here before, why are her keys found in the corridor and who is stalking them? The film then starts to roll along at a fast pace, leaving you wondering exactly how long it is going to be. But then Smith kicks in his twist (though it’s not really a twist, you know what it is from the trailer and can work it out before it comes), however that doesn’t take away from the film. As it progresses it keeps you wondering what the hell is actually going on, questioning the characters motives and how it can be got out of.

There are a few clues as to the actual plot meaning, the name of the ship and explanation which is given in a small scene needs to be taken note of, as this will seriously help you understand what is going on. The ending of the film I originally wasn’t sure on, but on reflection, when you think of the above noted scene and what exactly the plot is about makes sense, infact makes perfect sense. I certainly came out of the film talking about it and pondering parts of it, which is good.

Acting wise, it’s okay. George is the standout and puts in an excellent performance, she really should be in more stuff. Smiths direction is good and the colour palette and slightly washed out tones give some good atmosphere and suit the sea based setting. The score is decent and compliments the film as well. Overall I’d say this is well worth watching and shows Smith certainly has the talent to become a very good director.

RATING = 4/5