Downhill

I bought "Downhill" cheap on DVD from a local supermarket, then it sat amongst many other DVDs for 4 or 5 years before finally getting around to watching it. Was it worth the wait? Hell no!! Joe (Bruce Draper) and his girlfriend Stephanie (Natalie Burn) head down to Chile for some high level downhill racing. On their first ride they come across a badly injured man sat in a car, next thing a group of armed thugs turn up (rather bizarrely led by a big Cockney geezer!) Then to cap it off the injured man goes all body horror, sprouting tentacles etc , something to do with a local coven of naked witches. Confusing? Oh yes! The first half was pretty straight forward but the last part of the story is just an incoherent mess. Most of the film takes place in the Great Outdoors, I always like that, the effects are passable but the acting, especially the two leads, is poor. Natalie Burns is great to look at but her acting is as wooden as the trees. Near the end one character says "Such a waste", well I agree, a waste of a few quid and 79 minutes of my life.

Pésimos actores, hay actores Chilenos mucho mejores...

Downhill has a heartbeat that a lot of smaller productions can't relate to. It feels like a spectacle with a mind of its own, and that adds a strange charm, but it also amplifies the loose design of the screenplay itself. This is a flick that will be remembered long and it will frighten many , and it will do some very positive things for a large portion of the crew involved.

Yes pun intended. Although if you're looking for humor, you shouldn't stop and watch this. Unless you like laughing at how bad some things are. Like the dialog, or the "acting". The story in general and some of the special effects too. Is there any saving grace? One of the accidental fun of course - and I guess if you like watching beautiful people, than there is something here for the eye too.

But as far as horror movies are concerned, this is very weak. I reckon if you haven't seen many, you might be mildly entertained. But mostly for the wrong reasons as mentioned above. I did watch it at a festival and it's always hard facing those who made this and put a lot of effort into this. Learning by doing though and maybe someday the result will be better

The movie is a typical popcorn horror flick that isn't really doing anything new. Everything about it is average, from the acting to the special effects, but it all culminates into a highly entertaining film that shouldn't be dissected or over analyzed like some people reviewing it have been doing. It's a simple premise with a simple script, a b & C grade cast, and some competent special effects. But to act like this is such a horrible film is hyperbole at best and an indication that not everyone should be reviewing movies. Stop treating these movies as if they are supposed to be life altering experiences, and enjoy them for what they are; teh equivalent of reality TV, just condensed to an hour and a half.

With all that being said, the ending was SPECTACULAR. It's endings like that that make me glad to be a fan of the horror genre. To me, it more than made up for anything I found average in the film as a whole.

Go in expecting Shakespeare and you will be disappointed. Set your expectations accordingly, for the genre, and just have a good time. It's really that simple.