Triangle

A sudden electrical storm hits a group of young friends out on a yacht for the day, capsizing it and leaving them drifting. When the large cruise ship Aeolus passes by, they are rescued and climb aboard only to find that the ship is deserted. They wander around the ship feeling more uneasy as they go, until someone wearing a sack and carrying a shotgun starts trying to kill them all.

The plot summary sounds simple enough not only do we know what genre territory we are in but we also know where it is all going to go and what it is going to do as it goes there. I actually sat braced for a slasher horror movie (not really my type of thing) and for the first thirty minutes things are quite scary, with the "sack killer" being creepy and threatening in the way all mysterious and creepy characters are in this type of villain (those who have seen the Orphanage will understand how creepy a static figure in a sack can be). On this ground the film works very well and the tension is palatable to the point where we can appreciate why Jess starts going crazy. The film then shifts the plot in a way that is very engaging and also very weird; it is best for me not to discuss it too much because it is all the better to try and keep up with it and then spend time afterwards thinking about it and talking about it.

It does have plot holes and it will not satisfy all viewers but I found that the open nature of it is all part of it and writer/director Smith does help us understand what is going on in the way he names the ship and also makes a point of having the story partially explained by the characters when they first board the ship and see its name. It doesn't totally make sense and some things are deliberately left unknown (or at least "uncertain") but it is a great ride that mostly delivers on the way to a very downbeat ending (although you'll know that is not really the case when you watch it).

It is driven forward by Smith's direction making everything claustrophobic and thrilling, even as it becomes more confusing. Melissa George is a massive part of it to though. Her performance is great throughout and she is convincingly disturbed, weird, disturbed and numb as the script requires – her madness is both understandable and alienating. The rest of the cast are not quite as good but this is not really a problem because George and the script are really all that matters.

Triangle is a film you will hear about from people who have seen it and, despite its flaws, it will have stuck in their mind. Hopefully they will not tell you too much about it because the twisty mind-funk is all part of it. It is flawed due to plot holes though but it is hard to really dislike the film for them – particularly when you realise that any problems you have with how the story ends are more to do with how/where the film starts.

I remember the trailer for this movie, wasn't too impressed really. 8 Years later I stumbled across it and checked the reviews which seem overwhelming positive.

Sat down and saw it last night and it was a fantastic film. No gore, just pure suspense I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, you know its a good movie when that happens. Additionally I love movies that keep you guessing even when it's finished, which this did. There are only a few films that I would watch over again, this is one of them.

Just goes to show that you do need blood and gore, famous faces or a silly story line for a good flick. This was more than good and I wish they would continue to make movies like this. Well done!

TRIANGLE is a story about regret, remorse, and second chances.

Jess (Melissa George) is on a sailing trip with friends when they encounter a freak storm that overturns their yacht. Jess and company happen upon what appears to be a derelict ship, adrift in the ocean.

Once aboard, it's not long before a murderous frenzy unfolds. This is repeated from various angles and points of view. Sound bizarre? It is! It's also riveting to watch, as pieces of the puzzle fall into place. If you've ever done something that you wish you could undo, fix, or erase completely, then this movie will hit a nerve. Ms. George is the center and circumference of the film. Watch her every move!

A wonderful brain-twister, this!...

I went to see Triangle on a whim hoping it might be thrilling, entertaining or fun at least. I love it when a film exceeds your expectations like Triangle did.

Mellissa George stars as the lead in a small cast of young people on a yachting break off the coast of Florida who encounter a mysterious ship with no passengers after their yacht is upturned.

What follows is a complex and superbly written mystery that unfolds at a perfect pace. I spent most of the movie trying to work out what was going on, trying to piece together all the elements of the storyline. Christopher Smith has clearly spent a long time putting this film together with an intricately crafted deal of detail. I was gripped from the moment the yacht capsized.

The lead performance is excellent, superbly holding the plot together; and the supporting cast are more than passable. If you're looking for something a little different and you're happy to pay close attention to detail for an hour and a half, then I can thoroughly recommend Triangle as an original, well written and directed mystery that will keep you guessing until the final scene.

8/10.

How to talk about "Triangle" without giving anything away? It's a puzzle equal to that which the movie presents its audience, because this isn't your standard horror movie. It has more in common with plot-twisting movies such as "Momento" and "The Machinist" than the gory likes of "Halloween" or "Ghost Ship".

Perhaps a good start is offer some praise to the director Christopher Smith whose work i've been a fan of since "Creep". I also greatly enjoyed his follow-up "Severence", but "Triangle" is easily his most mature effort so far; and the entire movie has an almost dream-like atmosphere to it. It certainly looks beautiful and the haunting music adds to this ambiance.

Melissa George, who plays the central role here, is quietly impressive; she's never really been an actress who has stood out to me in her previous roles, and so it was a pleasant surprise to see her rising to the occasion of taking center stage. It's only a shame that her character is so haunted and inaccessible. This isn't George's fault; the role is written in a way which keeps her detached not only from the other characters but also from the moviegoers. She's constantly aloof and distracted which can be initially annoying; it's hard to care for a character which you can't warm to.

I would certainly applaud the makers for attempting something different to the standard horror story (although, I do admit that it is very similar in theme to one other recent movie that you'll probably see mentioned a few times in the forum for "Triangle") and I certainly enjoyed the experience. I'd recommend staying away from learning too much about the plot beforehand (the trailer, in particular, gives far too much away) if at all possible.

"Triangle" is very much like a movie-length version of a "Twilight Zone" episode but its also a very flawed piece. There's an intelligence at work in the script; the way in which the pieces of the puzzle are presented to the audience is done in a skilled manner but it also suffers from thinking it's far cleverer than it actually is. There are plot holes to be found by those who dwell on the story, and the ending isn't quite as neat as the movie believes it to be.

Still, this is an impressive effort and well worth checking out (especially if you're a fan of the two superior movies mentioned earlier - "Momento" and "The Machinist"). In a world in which cinematic horror tends to involve torture and cheap shocks, it's nice to find a more psychological effort that looks for other ways to creep under your skin.