DEVIL’S PASS

With Holly Goss, Matt Stokoe,Luke Albright, Ryan Hawley, Gemma Atkinson 

Written by Vikram Weet
Directed by Renny Harlin

Like many directors, Renny Harlin's early career skirted the Horror genre (helming the 4th Nightmare On Elm Street sequel) before hitting high profile action movies like Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and the ill-fated Cutthroat Island. Here he enters the found-footage fray with a very interesting real life Russian tragedy as the basis of the movie. 
Known as the Dyatlov Pass incident, in 1959 a group of 9 skiers got lost in the Ural area (known as Dead Mountain), and froze to death under very strange circumstances.  Some very disturbingly inexplicable facts still remain unanswered.  The movie takes you along a documentary crew of 5 American students investigating the incident (one of the directors drawn to this place since childhood).  You’re given a very cool (and creepy) horror / sci-fi explanation of what might have happened, sometimes far-fetched, but by no means lame (as the crew soon becomes doomed to repeat history).
I feel this would’ve been a far more enriching watch if it was made as a regular narrative based on the actual incident and time period, leaving speculations as to what may have happened more open to the viewer’s interpretation.  But, regardless, they manage to put together a pretty intriguing tale with a dark and scary outcome.

4 / B
- Paul Blom

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
- A - B - C

A: Multi-Viewing Potential

B: Could Enjoy A 2nd Look

C: Once Should Suffice