Shannyn Sossamon and Alecia ‘Pink’ Moore star in this film from the producers of Saw about a young woman, Victoria (Sossamon) who attends an illegal rave in the titular location whilst visiting her sister in Paris. When the police raid the party, the revellers flee and Victoria finds herself lost in the endless labyrinth of tunnels. She soon finds however that she’s not alone.
I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting to like this very much, as more or less everyone who has seen this has been negative about it, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by it.
Sossamon and Moore are both great here, with the latter playing the best on screen bitch I’ve seen in recent years. The small supporting cast however doesn’t really have much to do. Therefore, it’s essentially a two-woman show, but both actresses are capable of carrying the film.
Whilst it is not overtly gory, Catacombs is claustrophobic and at times quite suspenseful. This film may not be nearly as claustrophobic as say The Descent but it still manages to hold it’s own.
From a technical standpoint, Director of Photography Maxime Alexandre must be praised for making the film (which essentially takes place in the dark) look so beautiful. He also has help of course from the set designers. On the downside, the sound and some editing choices hamper the film, but it’s still entertaining.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Whilst Catacombs is not the most original or terrifying fright flick in recent memory, it is a solid rental for a Monday night and I’m surprised that horror fans haven’t given it more love. Considering the film went through many problems during the production phase, including a six-month postponement after the unexpected death of producer Gregg Hoffman, it still turned out pretty good.
