The Lair

Those were some of the worst accents I've ever heard across the board and they were so distracting that I have no idea if the movie was any good.

The script seemed choppy and unconvincing but I'm not entirely sure if it was actually bad or if I just couldn't get past the atrocious accents.

The story was slow and dragged it'd feet, the monsters felt repetitive, the entire premise felt forced and had no natural flow to it.

But seriously, in case I haven't hit this point enough, couldn't they cast people with authentic accents if they were unable to find anyone able to convincingly deliver on them?

But by his high standards, I think he would want to forget he directed this film. Having seen his The Descent(2005) and the rave reviews it got, I was excited to see this new offering. But Neil Marshall himself payed homage to movies like Alien, Aliens and Resident Evil in this one. The music is also derived from these. I was chuckling as I heard those familiar tunes from movies seen ages ago...

This movie is about a crash landed Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair(Charlotte Kirk), who steps into an underground facility when she is ambushed by rebels defending the area. Inside the underground facility she discovers the terrifying truth about a secret government experiment gone wrong. Afterward when she is rescued by an American task force she warns them about what she had seen but by then it is too late... Watch the film to see what happens next.

Only fans of Neil Marshall movies should see this. Other than that there is nothing worth mentioning about this one. Charlotte Kirk produced this film as well so I'm mystified as to how much was invested into the special-effects department. Obviously nothing went right for Neil. On top of this some lousy acting to boot from all involved. I won't be surprised if this movie ends up in public domain, free for all to watch. It's that bad.

Thanks for taking the time to read this review.

Soldiers fighting genetically engineered slimy creatures - it's a kind of mix between John Rambo's mission in Afghanistan with the second Alien movie. From the director of "Dog Soldiers" and "Doomsday", another monster flick which is decently entertaining. Funny enough, for Neil Marshall's previous "The Reckoning", I had high expectations and was a little disappointed. For "The Lair", exactly the opposite: I didn't expect much, but was actually pleased.

The movie is obviously influenced by the mercenary and sci-fi flicks of the 80s and 90s, and well constructed in three acts at 30 mins each. Act 1, the bunker is discovered. Will the army take heed of the warning of an unknown enemy? Act 2, battle at night with the creatures, then more information is gathered, from obduction of a creature's body to unexpected help from a local guy. Act 3, trying to stop the invasion from below. Because also Taliban forces attack, really an action-packed situation. The movie has a few weaknesses, some characters remain shallow as cardboard, some scenes are "we've seen it all before", but it was fun.

I was initially lured in by this 2022 action horror movie's cover/poster. Yeah, I am a sucker for creature features, so of course this movie caught my attention.

Sure, I hadn't heard about "The Lair" prior to getting to sit down and watch it, so I virtually had no idea what I was in for here, aside the creature's face showing on the cover/poster. But that was essentially also enough to get me interested.

Writers Charlotte Kirk and Neil Marshall put together a fairly okay movie here. I mean, it felt like a typical creature feature from the 1980s and 1990s, so if you enjoyed those kind of movies back in the day, then "The Lair" will prove entertaining for you. I enjoyed it actually for what it was, and it was like a trip down a nostalgic path. Sure, writers Charlotte Kirk and Neil Marshall weren't revolutionizing the horror genre with "The Lair", but they came up with an adequately enough movie that proved watchable and enjoyable for what it was.

The acting performances in the movie was good. I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list, but I will say that they actually put on good enough performances to carry the movie and make "The Lair" enjoyable.

Visually then "The Lair" was okay. The creature design was a bit too simplistic for my liking. And the fact that it was so painstakingly obvious just guys in rubber suits wasn't helping the movie. Sure, it felt like something from 1980s, but for a movie made it 2022, it was a bit too simplistic. Better effects would have lifted the movie up from the mediocre lane.

Watchable for what it was, "The Lair" proves enjoyable enough for a single viewing. And I do mean a single viewing, because there simply isn't enough meat on the bone here, pardon my French, to support more than a single viewing.

My rating of director Neil Marshall's 2022 action horror movie "The Lair" lands on a five out of ten stars.

It is exactly what I expected. You know that a lot of the soldiers are fodder. And. That is okay. Good action sequences. Great creature effects. Not sure why there are so many negative reviews. It's a great time killer. And. As long as you know what your in for. You'll like it. Paced nicely. Good character development. If you like monster movies with practical effects. You'll enjoy this. Turn your brain off, to some extent. Has a few jump moments. Nothing major. The actors did a good job with the material they were given. Would love to see the material expanded upon. A sequel or prequel would be nice.