In the middle of World War I, nine British soldiers caught behind enemy lines seek refuge in a complex network of German trenches. What they soon discover is that they aren't alone - and it ... Read allIn the middle of World War I, nine British soldiers caught behind enemy lines seek refuge in a complex network of German trenches. What they soon discover is that they aren't alone - and it isn't a German soldier that's hunting them down.In the middle of World War I, nine British soldiers caught behind enemy lines seek refuge in a complex network of German trenches. What they soon discover is that they aren't alone - and it isn't a German soldier that's hunting them down.
- Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
- Pvt. Colin Chevasse
- (as Ruaidhri Conroy)
- German soldier
- (as Roman Horak)
- Soldier
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
The plot has a group of British soldiers getting lost during an attack and finding a German trench. The Germans are more concerned with something in the trench to pay the Brits any mind and try to send them away. All but one of the Germans are shot, but because of a language problem he can't tell them whats is lurking close by.
Beautifully shot, excellently acted this is a very good little horror film. No, its not the be all and end all of horror films but its a damn good little thriller that rises about the typical thanks to its setting and the cast.
This is a film worth putting a bit of effort into finding. I doubt that you'll hate it if you find it, at the very least you'll come away liking it.
8 out of 10.
I found this film to be very enjoyable, it has a wonderfully creepy and suspenseful atmosphere, and the setting for the movie is perfectly dark and mysterious to heighten the plot.
Deathwatch is solidly directed and well cast and is a very different take on the horror genre as a whole that is refreshing to see.
7/10
Perhaps it happens in Verdun , Tannenberg or Marne battle , the film is set on the trenches from one of them . At the squadron appears an evil which murders one by one the members of the team.
It's an interesting movie , from the beginning until the end the frightening and scary action is unstoppable.
The flick has an eerie atmosphere , it is in gaudy color , enhanced by the mud of trenches and with lights and shades that originates a ghostly setting .
Set design is excellent , the movie is enough atmospheric , the dark sludge , the dirtiness and filthiness with the muddy trenches are very well designed .
Runtime is adjusted , approx. one hundred minutes , but is a little bit boring because of it occurs limited adventures . However it is a lot exciting , amazing and entertaining.
In the film there are suspense , horror, drama , tension , shootouts , frenetic action and a little bit of gore.
Everybody actors are pretty well but specially there stands out Jamie Bell , Andy Serkis ( Gollun in The Lord of the rings ) , Hugo Speer and Mathew Rhys .
The movie will appeal to the suspense , terror buffs and emotion lovers.
Rating 6,5/10 . Good and well worth watching .
Masterfully acted from start to finish with some tremendous rain-drenched photography "Deathwatch" is a very promising experience showing the potential of the debutee director Michael J. Bassett. With a shoestring budget he manages to invoke realistic trenches and positionary warfare with the unseen enemy hiding amongst the mud, water and fog. Additionally we are serviced some quite brutal heart-stopping gore, which makes you double-check areas of your body to make sure you remain intact.
Despite consistently conveying the dreary atmosphere the script however is unable to fulfil expectations, even though the open-ended unresolved-on-a-plate ending is a small triumph for the director. Nonetheless the whole movie is predictable and does not offer any freshness. Additionally the plot is severely underdeveloped and some key scenes seem missing or are just tremendously underplayed. Some of the direction tends to be a bit confusing - before the bodycount cuts down the number of soldiers it is hard to actually follow who is doing what or who is who for that matter. In the end it feels more like a well-done test-run created to prove a simple point: I know how to make movies. Essentially perfectly ordinary, but nonetheless sure to creep you out and hauntingly involve during the viewing pleasure.
The set design and atmosphere in "Deathwatch" was primo. It was rainy, muddy, cold, and you can tell that the entire trench was a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. The actors put in strong performances which were on par with the set design. They exuded angst, desperation, confusion, and fear. The plot, however, wasn't as compelling as everything else. I almost feel like the set and the performances were wasted on this piece.
Did you know
- TriviaAndy Serkis said in the audio commentary he has no idea what's going on in the film towards the third act.
- GoofsIn one scene it shows one of the soldiers finding and later talking on a radio. This could not be possible since radios for military field use that you could talk on did not exist until WW2. The primary mode of radio communication would be by CW (Morris Code) using a telegraph type key and not by picking up a handheld microphone. In 1917 radio transmitters were large and cumbersome to operate under field conditions especially in a trench where antennas were also needed to transmit and receive radio signals.
- Quotes
Sgt. David Tate: All right, boys lets get this trench secure.
Pfc. Charlie Shakespeare: Sarge.
Pvt. Thomas Quinn: Yes, sergeant.
Pvt. Jack Hawkstone: Yes, sarge.
Pvt. Barry Starinski: Fuckin' hell, sarge.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- La sombra del mal
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $2,270,658
- Runtime
- 1h 34m(94 min)
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1