Event Horizon

EVENT HORIZON is a pretty good sci-fi/horror movie which you'll either love or hate. It's a very dark and depressing movie which completely justifies the 'terror' in the tag-line. Perhaps the continuing terror is why some people probably dislike it.

As far as I know, most horror movies lack a decent story or decent acting or character development. That's why I'm not into horror movies that much. But Event Horizon has an interesting story that is an ideal and most of all original environment for a horror movie. Even though character development is limited, as the film progresses you'll get to know most of the characters better. Especially Sam Neill's (Dr. Weir) and Laurence Fishburn's (Cpt. Miller) characters.

The acting was done very well by most of the cast, most notable Laurence Fishburn and Sam Neill who did a good job. The sets on the other hand are brilliant and creepy at the same time. I would not feel comfortable walking around in any of those rooms, especially the engineering room featuring the Gravity Drive (sphere with 3 magnetic rings within a room filled with deadly spikes on the walls and ceiling). This adds more tension than there already is to the movie which makes the experience only better and worthwhile.

The special effects in this movie are quite a treat. Ranging from an external view of the gigantic Event Horizon around Neptune to Dr. Weir and his 'HANDywork' with his eyes.

In my opinion, this is a good but underrated sci-fi horror movie with lots of freaky moments that will keep your heart racing. If you like the depressing endless terror, you'll like this movie quite a bit. If you rather have happy endings and laughs, you'll probably dislike it.

For the best experience, watch this movie in a dark room at night or even past midnight with the volume turned up a bit over the normal setting.

Rated 7/10 on IMDb, but I personally would give it a 7.5/10.

'Event Horizon' is very much an atmospheric sci-fi horror. It does not rely on gore (although there is enough of that) but rather it is the creepy atmosphere that engages the viewer. Andersen successfully creates a tense, depressing, and claustrophobic atmosphere. The suspense and pace are well maintained. It pays tribute to several movies of the same genre (like 'The Shining', 'Aliens' etc). Character development is slightly weak but the actors do a good job and the viewer cares for them. Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Richard Jones and Jason Isaacs do a fine job with what they're given. The sets look very unwelcoming and creepy. The special effects and sound effects are good. The cinematography is superb. The plot is a little complex and difficult to follow in the beginning leaving the viewer wondering with what exactly is going on but this becomes easier with repeated viewings. In my view, 'Event Horizon' is an underrated film and perhaps did not get enough recognition because it did not have any stars or enough 'monsters' and 'blood' or perhaps the subject was a little too complex for some to grasp.

Ah test audiences, if not for you, we would of had a way more disturbing and horrific movie. They pick random people, probably a broad variety, but bland as all get out to help the studio execs gut a director's vision. Probably not even horror fans. What we get is good, but the potential is there for it to be way more disturbing, a horror film that is totally fabricated, but still resonates. Though, this one is good as I so enjoy the supernatural and then to combine it with science fiction...awesome!

The story, a ship, 'Event Horizon' has disappeared and seven years later as reappeared. A crew is set with the task of going to this vessel and discovering if there is anyone left alive and to salvage the ship if possible. On board this crew, a Dr. Weir, who is the man who invented the special engine used to propel the ship forward. Of course, it does this by opening a black hole and we will learn over time that where it leads, no man should go. As they explore the ship, stranger and stranger things keep happening and hampering any chance of the rescue team making it out alive!

I thought all the actors and actresses did good. I knew Sam Neil would be good and so is Lawrence Fishborne. The.visuals are really good too and the film has a very good atmosphere essentially being a spaceship that is haunted. I just think it would have been better with more extended peeks into hell, because who wasn't curious to see what the makers of the film came up with? Unfortunately, they got a squeamish test audience who thought it was too much and us horror fans are left to wonder. Of course, my biggest question is how the heck did a copy of the film with the extra scenes end up in a Transylvania salt mine?

So, I liked this film as I have been trying to watch all the supernatural horror in space I can. Got The Dark Side of the Moon too. Wanted Nightflyers, but that is not even on DVD. The only other one I can think of is Lifeforce which does have some cool visuals, but mainly takes place on earth. This one is probably the best of the ones I know, but could have been even better had they left the deleted scenes in.

This movie doesn't get nearly enough credit. If not for the studio trying to water this movie down, we might be talking about it with the likes of Hellraiser and Alien.

I first saw this in the theater in 97 and it has only gotten better with time. Great sci-fi movie with traditional horror elements. The thunderstorms and fog add to the ambience.

Sam Neil and Laurence Fishburne give fantastic performances that are not reflected in the box office earnings.

I wish we could see the original version that had test audiences fainting but apparently the film has been destroyed due to improper storage.

Highly recommend.

This film was a lot better than what most people gave it credit for. The cinematography was excellent, and the lighting gave the film a very eerie feel to it. Certainly better than the average sci-fi film. Not only did the film mix two mediums almost perfectly (sci-fi and horror), it completed the union almost flawlessly. Not a perfect movie, but then again, Sam Neill was amazing in this film. Virtually all of the technical aspects in the film were top-notch. While it didn't advance the film industry overall, it did make an impact in the sci-fi genre.