Terror lurks beyond Uranus in Neptunian nightmare sci-fi Event Horizon

Unbeloved by critics at the time but having since built quite the cult following, “Event Horizon” may not be much more than the pithy ‘haunted house in space’ summary that often dismissively describes it but given that it delivers on that concept very, very well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In the year 2047, a salvage team is sent to investigate and recover the long thought lost starship Event Horizon which has suddenly reappeared in orbit of Neptune. Having disappeared on its maiden voyage 7 years previously, its return is merely the harbinger of a darker mystery as the crew of the salvage tug Lewis & Clark – along with the designer of the Event Horizon Dr Weir (Sam Neill) – try to discover what happened during that fateful first mission.

It may be a hugely derivative mash-up of “Alien” and “Hellraiser” but it works thanks to bravura production design and a cast of committed thesps who lean into the grisly goings-on and give the science fiction shenanigans just the right amount of credibility to make the scares come off just right.

Something of a Hellish puzzle-box itself, the movie doesn’t give up its secrets easily or all at once and it keeps the tension simmering nicely for quite some time before it lets things boil over and all Hell breaks loose. Looking back, its now star-studded cast keeps it interesting for first-time viewers as you can’t be sure who’ll be killed off quickly and who might – just might – survive until the end.

While it has an admirable commitment to bringing some scientific realism to play – the recovery and reactivation of the Event Horizon features some nods to the real-world physics of space travel that wouldn’t disgrace an Arthur C Clark adaptation – it’s not afraid to really lean into the jump scares and gore of the horror genre. Of course, being a Paul (not yet W.S.) Anderson film, it lacks even a shred of subtlety and the soundtrack isn’t always a good fit for what’s on-screen (the opening titles, in particular, are weird kind of “Doctor Who”/ “James Bond” hybrid with a rejected “Blade” dance track to accompany them, but all-in-all it’s a cracking potboiler of a scary movie, gleefully gory and deceptively smart to boot.

With Fishburne, Sam Neill, Jason Isaacs and Joely Richardson firing on all cylinders, “Event Horizon” is one of the few times when in space they can hear you scream – as long as it’s in Latin!

event horizon review
score 7/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse (2018) Review

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse (2018) Review

Oh what a spangled web Sony weave with Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse Bringing the multiverse to your friendly neighbourhood multiplex, Sony have finally captured lightning in a bottle for the second time and created a great Spider-Man movie. With (literally) dazzling animation...

The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Review

The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Review

Matt Damon heads into the multiverse. Have you ever stopped to wonder what would have happened if you’d not missed that train, or if you’d gone to a different coffee shop on a whim, or decided to stay in instead of going to that party? And what if those decisions weren’t actually made by...

Spy (2015) Review

Spy (2015) Review

I…um…observe with my optic nerve, something beginning with ‘S’. Much like “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” was for Spielberg, “Spy” is Paul Feig’s take on a Bond movie, based on the not unreasonable supposition that ‘they’d never let him direct one’. After seeing this, though, they just...

The Room (2003) Review

The Room (2003) Review

I did not watch it, it's not true! It's bullshit! I will not watch it! I will not. Oh hai, The Room Infamous, bordering on legendary, “The Room”, reigning champion of The Worst Movie Ever MadeTM has long been a treasured guilty…if not pleasure, then amusement for movie fans...

Companion (2025) Review

Companion (2025) Review

Hey Siri - show me a cautionary tale of tech bro entitlement. Companion begins with the kind of setup that feels both familiar and quietly ominous: a lakeside retreat, a close circle of friends, and something just… slightly off. What follows isn’t so much a slow-burn thriller as a...

Craggus’ Trek Trek: Now, Voyager! Vol 14

Craggus' Trek Trek: Now, Voyager! Vol 14

Craggus' Trek Trek:Now, Voyager! Vol 14 Craggus' Trek Trek Now Voyager Vol 14 starts with a wonderful 1930s sci-fi serial holodeck gone wrong adventure and ends with an intriguing set of adveraries that sadly never get a second crack at Janeway and her crew. Star Trek Voyager...

The Mousehole Cat (1994) Review

The Mousehole Cat (1994) Review

The Mousehole Cat is miaow-verlous! Few stories capture the heart and soul of a community quite like The Mousehole Cat. Based on the beloved children’s book by Antonia Barber and illustrated by Nicola Bayley, the animated adaptation -marking its 30th anniversary this year - transforms...

Army Of The Dead (2021) Review

Army Of The Dead (2021) Review

Netflix's new zombie franchise is dead on arrival. Having duly resurrected and delivered the cinematic curate’s egg that was ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE, all eyes eagerly turned west to Nevada to see what Snyder would do nest because he sure as shit wasn’t going to go to Disneyland...