Vertigo

Not to be mistaken for an Alfred Hitchcock thriller,this is an English dubbed version of the French horror/thriller Vertige. Teenager climbers Fred,his girlfriend Karine and their friends Chloe,William and Luke travel to Croatia to climb and hike. They decide to venture onto a trail high up in the mountains that has been closed for repairs. The climb proves more perilous than planned,especially as they soon realise that danger doesnt come from the trail,but from a mysterious presence.

Fred,the most experienced of the group is the first casualty as he gets caught in a bear trap and soon is dragged away in chains! One by one,the young climbers succumb to the unknown peril. Before the first occurrence of the lurking menace,what is paramount are the interpersonal dynamics within the group.

For his first full-length feature film,director Abel Ferry has opted to tackle the adventure/horror genre. The movie starts at a brisk,refreshing pace complemented by the stunning and precarious visuals shot by cinematographer Nicolas Massart. But within half an hour of this promising start,the film plunges into a despondent watch for the viewerit reminds you of countless such films like Hills Have Eyes,etc.

Barring the exciting visuals,especially in the first half of the mountain terrain,the crisp editing and direction,the film is another one on the lower rung of the genre.

Rating: One for the cinematography and editing. One for direction.