The Ferryman (2007)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

Chris Graham

Writers:

Matthew Metcalfe (story)
Nick Ward (screenplay)

Release Date:

2007 (Australia)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Everybody pays.

Plot:

The story of a group of twenty-something's who charter a boat to Fiji for the trip of a lifetime, before stumbling upon an evil that demands vengeance at any cost.

Plot Keywords:

Fiji | Yacht | New Zealand | Fishing Boat | Mist

Cast

John Rhys-Davies	...	The Greek
Kerry Fox	...	Suze
Sally Stockwell	...	Tate
Amber Sainsbury	...	Kathy
Tamer Hassan	...	Big Dave
Craig Hall	...	Chris Hamilton
Julian Arahanga	...	Zane
Lawrence Makoare	...	Snake
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Imogen Cassin	...	Imogen
Ben Fransham	...	The Ferryman
Robbie Magasiva	...	Man in Club

MPAA:

Rated R for brutal horror violence, language, some sexuality and drug use.

Runtime:

Germany:100 min (European Film Market)

Country:

New Zealand | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:M18 | Australia:R | Malaysia:18SG | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

Atlantic Film Productions

Trivia:

The back tattoo which Davis is wearing shows a snake, that bites itself - in figure of an eight. It's the symbol for eternity and immortality.

Movie Connections:

References "The Love Boat" (1977)

Soundtrack:

Evolution

Average

This movie has been advertised as being pretty bloody. I don't know if my version was cut down, but at least mine wasn't by any of todays standards. The movie revolts around 2 couples taking a boat trip on the yacht of another couple (so you start off with 6 potential victims, he he). After introducing the characters with 1 annoying blonde and the angel in form of an ex-nurse with a back story they stumble across an abandoned boat where they pick up an old sailor who soon starts the countdown from 6 down. By stabbing people with an ancient knife he is able to switch bodies and seems to have done so for a while angering death (here of course in form of the ferryman who is implemented into the movie as halfhearted as the nurses past). So the body-hopping starts pretty fast and the way it is executed is the most interesting thing which keeps the movie entertaining. Its more about that subject than about the kills which happen rather secondary and the uncertainty of who is who and people trapped in other bodies seemed fresh to me.

I liked the premise of immortality by shifting bodies. Beside that there was some aspects reminding me of The Fog mixed in with modern Teenage-Slasher Films. But as much as I liked the premise there was some real annoying parts in "The Ferryman". The different stories and ideas were rather loosely tied together which made the script look like a fast shot. Also the women in this movie were clichéd and annoying in their permanent hysterical screaming... since it was both blondes who got that attribute its yet another cliché.

I think the movie could have gone somewhere, especially since I liked the ending but its too halfhearted in implementing its influences from here and there. That makes "The ferryman" a little more than average since it still manages to keep the attention until the end.