In the year 2047, a small group of astronauts spearheaded by Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne), are sent to investigate and salvage the spacecraft “Event Horizon”, a ship that disappeared without trace mysteriously seven years prior. The “Lewis and Clark” rescue ship begins the mission to discover the truth behind the disappearance, only to discover something far more terrifying in the process. A well made Sci-Fi that effortlessly blends various genres.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Writers: Philip Eisner
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Sean Pertwee, Richard T. Jones, Kathleen Quinlan
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and written by Philip Eisner, Event Horizon is widely regarded by many as an underrated cult classic belonging to the Sci-Fi genre, which has been sitting on my watchlist for a considerable amount of time. Interestingly the writer, Philip Eisner, wrote the movie after a family tragedy in a bid to force himself back into his craft – the writer had the idea of pitching “The Shining in Space” to the studio that he was working with and the idea of this went down extremely favourably.
Despite being filmed and released almost thirty years ago, Event Horizon still manages to stand up well today in regard to the stunning cinematography and ample special effects on display – particularly noteworthy was the outside view of the mammoth Event Horizon spacecraft, which had an eerie, gothic-like presence to it. The film also manages to present a futuristic, space exploration feel throughout the ninety-six minute runtime, along with strong horror elements too.
With the positives, however, come some negatives. Sadly, I felt like the flick warranted a slightly longer runtime allowing for more information on the complex story that the filmmakers tried to present, along with more time focusing on the development of the key characters. As touched upon, Event Horizon also included a solid horror aspect, which seemed a little brief and underwhelming at times. This ultimately can be forgiven considering the fact that twenty to thirty minutes of the more violent footage was apparently subtracted from the picture prior to its release after receiving a poor reaction from the test audience.
In terms of the cast, Laurence Fishburne starred as Captain Miller, while support reigned in from a multitude of angles, including Sam Neill, Sean Pertwee and Richard T. Jones, who adopted the roles of Weir, Smith and Cooper, respectively. Other prominent figures included Kathleen Quinlan and Joely Richardson who portrayed Peters and Starck.
All in all, I can understand the praise that the film receives by many, but I’m not completely sure it’s warranted. The flick’s positives certainly outweigh the negatives, but I don’t think it excels in either of the genres that it’s known heavily for. With a little extra runtime and a slightly toned-down conclusion, Event Horizon could have been something special, but in my eyes it is somewhat forgettable and doesn’t warrant a repeat viewing.
“The ship brought me back. I told you she won’t let me leave – she won’t let anyone leave.”
Weir – Event Horizon
The DC Review Blog - EST. 2020 