Directed by:
John Erick DowdleScreenplay:
Brian NelsonCinematography:
Tak FujimotoComposer:
Fernando VelázquezCast:
Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jenny O'Hara, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven, Caroline Dhavernas (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Five strangers in Philadelphia begin their day with the most commonplace of routines. They walk into an office tower and enter an elevator. As they convene into this single place, they are forced to share a confined space with strangers. Nobody acknowledges anybody else. They’ll only be together for a few moments. But what appears to be a random occurrence is anything but coincidental when the car becomes stuck. Fate has come calling. Today these strangers will have their secrets revealed, and face a reckoning for their transgressions.
Slowly, methodically, their situation turns from one of mere annoyance to sheer helplessness and abject terror. Terrible things begin to happen to each of them, one by one, and suspicion shifts as to who among the five is making it all happen…until they learn the unspeakable truth: one of them is the Devil himself. As those on the outside try in vain to free them, the remaining passengers realize that the only way to survive is to confront the very wickedness that has led them to today. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
It takes seventy minutes carefully building a disconcerting atmosphere, relationships and tension between characters, only for all this to fizzle out, instead of reaching a climax and hitting hard with a message. Too bad, because it’s the ending/punchline of these genre snacks that separates the wheat from the chaff; leaving just the bold deeds of those who we can remember.
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The classic problem of Satanic horror films (why does the lord of all evil give such a shit?) is of course present. Fortunately, it's made up for by fairly decent direction and very good cinematography. Plus, with this film, I realized after Cloverfield that the MPAA is becoming more tolerant of violence.
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Tension doesn't elude the Devil, question marks are also piling up successfully, but it's still difficult to quiet the voice that says that everything could have been much better. Unsympathetic characters may be intentional, disappointment with the punchline definitely not. Suddenly, there are surprisingly many logical inconsistencies, and what was supposed to be a nerve-wracking thriller turns into only a mysterious appetizer.
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A sympathetic genre film that doesn't quite utilize its idea right, but it works a treat in a darkened movie theater with excellent sound. The question of "Who could it be...?" will probably end up being the right guess for a lot of people, but given the runtime, it works quite well, although the camera spends a lot of time flying around the building rather than in the incriminating elevator. The ending is questionable, but it's still based on a simple story... and Shyamalan's head. Regardless, Dowdle has talent.
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Precise direction and a really fast script with lots of ideas and flashy stunts that elevate this horror B-movie above many of its clichéd ghostly brethren. The atmosphere is not very chilling, but it’s enough to keep your attention, and the actors are decent and convincing to the extent of their possibilities. And the final twist, which I was increasingly curious about as time went on and I found out more and more, was delivered quite sensibly and did not disrupt the carefully constructed story based on one simple central idea, which, by the way, was so well delivered that it provided me with an (un)enjoyable and unrelenting spectacle.
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Photo © Universal Pictures
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