“In space… your nightmares are real”
In 1997, Paul W.S. Anderson (who’s known for such films as Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, and Death Race) took the world on an adventure at the far ends of space where they would know absolute terror in every sense of the word. When it comes to the horror/sci-fi genre, you need a special kind of director with just the right amount of imagination and the understanding of what it takes to bring audiences to the edge of their seats. That is exactly what Paul W.S. Anderson did with Event Horizon. In a Q&A, Anderson made it clear that his whole goal for Event Horizon was to make a film that had never been done before. Which meant that Anderson wanted the film to be as gory/violent as possible without any limitations.
The first time I watched Event Horizon, I was amazed at what Paul W.S. Anderson and his crew had made. I remember my brother asking me, “What did it remind you of back when we were small kids?” The only film that came to mind was of course… Alien from director Ridley Scott. Now although the two films are different in many ways, the reason Event Horizon reminded me of Alien was primarily the intensity the film left me with. I was just blown away by how well the film was done. It was truly an original film, and not just another ripoff or bad remake. Just in case you’ve never heard or read anything about the film, here is a brief summary from IMDB.
A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned…with someone or something new on-board.
The film stars Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, Joely Richardson, and Richard T. Jones. The entire cast did an excellent job from start to finish. There are two characters whom in my opinion were the most intriguing. First was Laurence Fishburne as Captain Miller. Miller is at first seen as an upstanding and respected leader of his crew and leads an outstanding rescue crew that has a rep for getting the job done at all costs. Even though Miller comes off as a upstanding leader, you begin to see in the film that even the best leaders have some of the darkest secrets, and Miller is no exception. Second was Sam Neill as Dr. William Weir. Without giving anything away, Dr. Weir like the rest of the rescue crew, is there to find out what happened to the Event Horizon but has more of an interesting backstory and a lot of it has to do with his late wife and her death. As time passes you begin to see things unfold for Weir, and Miller and the rest of the rescue crew are unclear as to whether it’s good or bad.
When it comes down to whether or not Event Horizon is a film worth seeing or not, in all honesty it just depends on what you are looking for. If you are a sci-fi fan or even just a horror film fan, then I believe this film brings something to the table for both parties. Event Horizon much like Alien is a special kind of animal in the sci-fi world. With its unique story, stellar acting and brilliant makeup Event Horizon will be known as one of the best under-appreciated sci-fi/horror films.
Under-appreciated Sci-Fi/Horror Film
