The Light Runs Out.
Starring: Bel Delia, Andy Rodoreda, Steve Davis, Luke Arnold
Director: Carlo Ledesma
2011 | 91 Minutes | Not Rated
“Did you see it?” – Steve Miller
“No, but whatever it was, it was fuckin’ huge.” – Peter Ferguson
Synopsis:
Journalist Natasha Warner and her film crew journey into Sydney’s underground tunnels investigating claims of disappearances.
I have talked way too much about my weird obsession with found footage flicks. They just keep pulling me in despite the vast majority of them not delivering. And I keep finding new ones that sound interesting to me. Cue The Tunnel…
The movie opens with an intense 911 phone call, giving us a glimpse at what’s to come. I’m growing a bit tired of so many movies, especially the found footage sort, resorting to this method. We are essentially fast forwarded to the good part of the movie, then taken back to the intro and then bored for 30-40 minutes before things start to get good again.
In an effort to make the movie feel more like a true documentary rather than patched together found footage The Tunnel takes a similar approach to storytelling as The Bay, with interviews and “news” clips interspersed with the typical found footage. The idea is that it is more realistic and gives us more insight into the characters’ heads. The way it plays out on film is that we are constantly taken away from the action, leaving us to understand the story through their words rather than their actions.
Considering this is a found footage film, we actually get some decent, albeit brief, shots of the creature. Never an explanation of what the heck it is, where it came from, why it’s here. But at least we get to see it. And it’s plenty creepy.
The big bad is plenty creepy but the movie isn’t actually scary. Maybe it’s because it feels like we have done this so many times before or maybe it’s just because the movie wouldn’t be scary regardless of previous horror movie experience… I don’t know. It just doesn’t achieve that feeling of armrest gripping fear that I hope for in movies like this. And I had hoped for something a little more original from the creature. I guess I had expected some sort of crazy underground conspiracy plot and it just isn’t there.
The Tunnel is neither the best nor the worst found footage horror movie. It just falls in this middle ground that is flooded with SO MANY others that it becomes instantly forgettable. It seems like there is a sequel in the works so hopefully they are able to bring us something truly unique the second time around.
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