A shaky found-footage film is something that usually doesn't entice me. Upon writing this review I have never seen such films as the Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, or V. H. S because I just don't find these types of films compelling viewing.
The Tunnel does share a similar concept but is also portrayed a lot like a documentary. It took me a while to get settled into the film because of its style, and I was starting to get agitated for some action. I feel you either love or hate the way this is shot. It has quite a slow build-up, so if you can battle your way through the first forty or so minutes, then I think you will enjoy the second half of the film, and be way more engrossed with the actual mystery.
What makes The Tunnel appealing is how gritty and believable it was produced on such a low budget and with such a short timeframe. From the news stories at the start of the film to the breakaway crew interviews throughout the feature, this seems like a very convincing story. And you end up accompanying the Journalist team who are trying to expose a government coverup as if you are one of them.
What this film also does very effectively is that it gradually builds up tension. The film spends an awful lot of time establishing the characters. And as an Australian myself, I honestly feel that I could relate to any of the characters and their personalities because let's be honest most of us Aussies at a time, have behaved or spoken like a bogan.
The sound effects were engaging and worked wonders for this film. The eerie silence in complete blackness with only night vision to guide the team. The only other sounds you hear are heavy breathing, the crackle of footsteps, or faint water coming from the pipes above and dripping onto the tunnel floor.
The scene with the chair in the corner, and the flashlight illuminating the blood on the walls gave it such a powerful atmosphere that it keeps your eyes transfixed intently on the screen. It felt terrifyingly real, and you feel quite tense watching the team, and knowing they are in such a dangerous and confined space.
Something is lurking in the darkness, and the good thing about this film is it doesn't give away its mystique. We don't know what exactly is living in the tunnels. It could be a vampire, a deranged human, a zombie, or an animalistic creature. The good news is we never see it clearly, and so we are never desensitized to whatever lies beneath.
We can gather that it is intelligent, and looks more like a human than an animal. And it seems to almost torture its victims by expelling their eyes from their sockets.
If only we had more stories to go on. This really could have opened the door for such a fascinating story.
For example, It could have been soldiers, or prisoners of war that have been experimented on by the military in the tunnels, and one of the subjects had survived all these years by resorting to cannibalism, by eating the homeless so that it could survive. And after so many years of navigating the darkness, it has lost its sight, while learning to thrive in the tunnels. Maybe that's why it takes the eyes of its victims because it desperately wants to be able to see light. This is just my vivid imagination of an interesting tale.
The ending was a little underwhelming, and pretty dull. Which in my opinion dampened the entire film overall. However, with such a tight budget the decision to cast a cameraman as an actor was an absolute genius, and due to the nature of the film, it paid dividends.
The stalker in the tunnels was terrifying, and truly something you fear in cramped passageways, and without the ability to see. I was quite surprised by this film, and if you get the chance then you should give it a go.
6.5/10.
The Tunnel does share a similar concept but is also portrayed a lot like a documentary. It took me a while to get settled into the film because of its style, and I was starting to get agitated for some action. I feel you either love or hate the way this is shot. It has quite a slow build-up, so if you can battle your way through the first forty or so minutes, then I think you will enjoy the second half of the film, and be way more engrossed with the actual mystery.
What makes The Tunnel appealing is how gritty and believable it was produced on such a low budget and with such a short timeframe. From the news stories at the start of the film to the breakaway crew interviews throughout the feature, this seems like a very convincing story. And you end up accompanying the Journalist team who are trying to expose a government coverup as if you are one of them.
What this film also does very effectively is that it gradually builds up tension. The film spends an awful lot of time establishing the characters. And as an Australian myself, I honestly feel that I could relate to any of the characters and their personalities because let's be honest most of us Aussies at a time, have behaved or spoken like a bogan.
The sound effects were engaging and worked wonders for this film. The eerie silence in complete blackness with only night vision to guide the team. The only other sounds you hear are heavy breathing, the crackle of footsteps, or faint water coming from the pipes above and dripping onto the tunnel floor.
The scene with the chair in the corner, and the flashlight illuminating the blood on the walls gave it such a powerful atmosphere that it keeps your eyes transfixed intently on the screen. It felt terrifyingly real, and you feel quite tense watching the team, and knowing they are in such a dangerous and confined space.
Something is lurking in the darkness, and the good thing about this film is it doesn't give away its mystique. We don't know what exactly is living in the tunnels. It could be a vampire, a deranged human, a zombie, or an animalistic creature. The good news is we never see it clearly, and so we are never desensitized to whatever lies beneath.
We can gather that it is intelligent, and looks more like a human than an animal. And it seems to almost torture its victims by expelling their eyes from their sockets.
If only we had more stories to go on. This really could have opened the door for such a fascinating story.
For example, It could have been soldiers, or prisoners of war that have been experimented on by the military in the tunnels, and one of the subjects had survived all these years by resorting to cannibalism, by eating the homeless so that it could survive. And after so many years of navigating the darkness, it has lost its sight, while learning to thrive in the tunnels. Maybe that's why it takes the eyes of its victims because it desperately wants to be able to see light. This is just my vivid imagination of an interesting tale.
The ending was a little underwhelming, and pretty dull. Which in my opinion dampened the entire film overall. However, with such a tight budget the decision to cast a cameraman as an actor was an absolute genius, and due to the nature of the film, it paid dividends.
The stalker in the tunnels was terrifying, and truly something you fear in cramped passageways, and without the ability to see. I was quite surprised by this film, and if you get the chance then you should give it a go.
6.5/10.