‘Devil’s Pass’ relives doomed quest to Dyatlov Pass
Renny Harlin’s Devil’s Pass is a contrived horror film with passable acting and far too many convenient plot points. However, the mysterious movie is able to achieve a certain level of bizarre wonder. Because of the inherent creepiness behind the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, which serves as the impetus for the telling of this tale, the story has an undeniable audience attraction. After hearing the details of this real-life tragedy, there’s almost no way not to be interested.
The incident involved a group of trekkers in the middle of the 20th century who went missing near the high reaches of the Russian landscape. Because of the hellish conditions, with snow and whipping wind, most would figure that the trekkers were victims of the elements. Harlin’s fictional film follows a crew of documentarians in the present day who head to the Dyatlov Pass to inspect the trekkers’ final trek. What these modern-day travelers are met with is downright horrifying, even if unbelievable.
The problem with the movie involves the actors chosen to play this five-person crew. There’s never an iota of believability behind their performances. They look into the camera, pretending like they’re making a documentary, but everything feels fake. These actors, including Holly Goss, Matt Stokoe, Luke Albright, Ryan Hawley and Gemma Atkinson, feel too amateurish to make us feel deeply about the fate of their respective characters. Also, screenwriter Vikram Weet uses many contrivances to get these “filmmakers” up onto the mountain, but once they are there, there’s a great sense of mystery and adventure behind their actions.
Harlin films the story with a careful lens that takes in the dangerous terrain of the snowy Russian landscape. Whether or not one believes the reports of alien abduction or the many other possible outcomes for the original trekkers, Harlin makes us believe in the possibility of something nefarious happening in the middle of nowhere.
With improved acting and a better way to propel the story, the film would be an excellent entry in the found-footage horror category. As it stands, Devil’s Pass feels like a missed opportunity. There are many salvageable scenes in the picture, and the fireworks ending is fascinating to behold, but the buildup fails to match that energy. Devil’s Pass is worth experiencing, but fast forward until the team arrives at this dreaded, dreaded pass.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
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Devil’s Pass
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2013
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Directed by Renny Harlin
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Written by Vikram Weet
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Starring Holly Goss, Matt Stokoe, Luke Albright, Ryan Hawley and Gemma Atkinson
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Running time: 100 minutes
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Rated R for some violence/disturbing images, and for a sexual reference
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Rating:
