After being missing for several days, boarding school student Thora Birch emerges, dishevelled and looking to be in a state of shock. She is mute about where she has been and what has happened, but police psychologist Embeth Davidtz is brought in to get answers. One day, Birch finally opens up and tells her story, which somehow resulted in three deaths. Her friend Daniel Brocklebank (who pines after Birch) had found a perfect way for Birch to be with her dream guy, American student Desmond Harrington. Brocklebank would arrange for Birch, Harrington, and two others (Keira Knightley and Laurence Fox) to spend three days inside an underground bunker out in the woods at the end of term (locked from the outside). Like anyone would do, I’m sure. For some reason, the others actually agree to do this (though obviously neither Birch nor Brocklebank fill them in on their Machiavellian scheme). They tell everyone at school that they are going home, they tell their parents, meanwhile, that they’re going on a school field trip. The problem is, after three days, Brocklebank doesn’t show up to let them out. Gee, I hope someone packed plenty of food and water. And that, dear readers is just the beginning, as Davidtz begins to wonder if there’s something Birch is leaving out, especially when Brocklehurst claims she’s lying. Steven Waddington plays a police detective investigating the incident.
Although this Nick Hamm (the disappointing “Godsend”) flick was marketed as being somewhat like “The Blair Witch Project”, it’s actually more in the vein of “Rashomon” or “The Usual Suspects”. It’s more of a twisty psychological thriller with a claustrophobic edge to it. And it’s not bad, actually. The characters are mostly unlikeable (think a British “Cruel Intentions”), but due to the “Rashomon” nature of the film, it’s never dull. If you don’t like one version of the characters, you’ll get another one soon enough that might be more to your liking. That said, I was never quite able to get over the inanity of their situation. Oh, bomb shelters are fun…in theory. Personally, I think the most interesting character is the one young person (played by Brocklebank) who doesn’t go down the hole.
Well-acted across the board (One does lament Davidtz choice of roles in recent years, though), however Birch whispers throughout the whole thing, irritatingly. Open your mouth properly when speaking, dear. She’s well-cast, though, and her English accent was fine enough to my ears. Meanwhile, check out American actor Desmond Harrington with the single worst haircut I’ve ever seen in my life. Oh, and we get a brief shot of a then 15 year-old Keira Knightley’s breasts. Apparently her mother was there with her on set, so it’s all OK, I’m sure. Clothed or not, she was still stealing the show with her charisma even in 2001.
OVERALL SUMMARY
It’s not a great film, and you’re spending 90 minutes or so with a bunch of rich jerks (who have very peculiar ideas about what constitutes ‘fun’), but it’s quite original and watchable nonetheless.
