The Triangle

I felt compelled to throw in my two cents as the review on the main page seems to miss the point. Listen, this movie may not be for everyone, but it is a quality piece of eerie mystery filmmaking. Fans of Ari Aster (Hereditary & especially Sommerset) or Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) will like this film. It is documentary-style and they create a great world where you feel that there's something just under the surface that is a little off. Check it out, but if you're in the mood for a slasher or a more in-your-face horror movie, maybe it's not for you.

If nothing else is true about 'The Triangle,' I appreciate that it is largely a collaborative effort among a group of friends; the same names write, direct, produce, star, edit, and handle cinematography in turn. With that said, for a found footage flick, it seems to boast higher or at least more evident production values than many of its brethren. I think this is fairly well made in every regard. It also struggles with the common issue of a major lack of eventfulness for a substantial portion of its length, in this case almost two-thirds the runtime. Once the turn does come 'The Triangle' is duly unsettling, and the value becomes clear. The payoff may be insufficient for some viewers, but for as quietly as the movie comes and goes, I find myself quite liking it.

There's no acute fright here, and no overarching atmosphere until that late turn. Rather, this is the type of film that aims to be slow and steady, subtly digging in its claws when the right moment comes. That may not sound like much, but at least in my book it's all that it needs to be. And the beauty of 'The Triangle' is that for what it achieves, it does so with minimal embellishment: the production design, art direction, and effects are present, but noticeably small so as to fit neatly within a low budget. One might deliberate on how much is truly required of the cast, but it strikes me that they ably and earnestly sell the softly sinister proceedings, and for that matter the eccentricity of the community that precedes it. And much credit also belongs, I think, to Adam Cotton. His original score is bare-bones and kept to the background at all times, yet disquieting as such; just as importantly, his sound design and effects are essential to the viewing experience, and simple as these may be, the result further feeds into the eeriness.

The best way to describe this may in fact be "minimalist found footage." Obviously a lot of hard work went into it, certainly, yet the abnormal manifestations presented to us are few, & the profit therefrom as a viewer is hushed. At no time is 'The Triangle' discretely gripping, but nor does it want or try to be. Though distinctly downplayed, the horror element is strong all the same as it rolls around. I can understand how such a low-key flick may not hold broad appeal, but for those who can appreciate the subdued tone, I think it's swell. There maybe isn't any need to go out of your way for it, but if you have the chance to watch 'The Triangle,' this is a good bit of fun.

So - If you don't have the patience for a slow building film or need to have every aspect explained to you....you will not enjoy this film. It will only leave you angry and confused. Aspects of the story are decidedly vague. There is a lot of handheld camerawork and (nicely done) split screens. I went into this film with the lowest of expectations. I'm still surprised at how engaging it turned out to be.

Found footage in rural Montana. That's all you need to know. The acting was solid and convincing. The build-up is slow and keeps you wondering which direction the film would eventually take (you won't likely guess right off). It's not by-the-numbers suspense and the feeling of menace and unease feels more nuanced and genuine than most. If you enjoy a variety of found footage films - this one definitely gives you something different.

The Found-footage genre seems to attract the worst kind of film maker. The ones who would rather do cheap vanity projects than actually attempt to make a decent film. After watching this poor excuse for a film, I think I hit the nose on the head with my assumptions. Let me set the scene for you; a group of dorks receive a postcard from one of their missing dorks, and he invites them to visit him in his commune. The commune is really a bunch of entitled losers who decide to forgo the comforts of modern society and instead live cheaply in the wilds of the Montana desert (I didn't even know Montana had deserts). Everyone in this group is an insufferable hippie; who in their right mind gives up modern things like electricity and television to live with a group of other weirdos, freaks and geeks? There is something strange going on, but no one wants to talk about it.

That's where the movie failed for me. The film starts out with an hour of people talking, giving each other weird glances, a camera man who is scared of his own shadow, and a just cult-like atmosphere seeping from every corner of 'The Triangle'. So for almost an hour, we see their daily activity, from cooking to pooping, and nothing else of interest goes on. I am not exaggerating; save for the camera that gave me violent nausea, nothing else of interest goes on. Until they show the film crew what it is that they were hiding.

My interest peaked, I thought we were going to be treated to a final half hour of creepy developments and startling discoveries. But, just as quickly as the interesting thing happen, the movie ended. Not in a whimper, but in a half-hearted "Meh".

It was obvious that the film makers were on a budget, or were just extremely cheap, since this film literally ended like most movies begin.This whole experience felt like something that was half baked, like a cake that was taken out of the just as the outside turned brown. The credits told me everything I needed to know about this failure, and with a truly talented team, this movie could have been something interesting. But these people are not talented, nor do they deserve your time or money. Avoid this movie, never speak of it, and watch something else. Anything else. Just because I wasted an hour and a half of my life, doesn't mean anyone else has to.

Heed my warning; This "Triangle" definitely deserves to disappear.

I watch a ton of found footage / documentary style horror movies - I just love them. This one was unique. I thought it had an original premise and a solid execution, which is rare for this genre. Most importantly, it didn't go the way I expected, which is a delight to me as a frequent viewer of films like this one. I thought the cast did a great job of making the movie believable - especially, as others have said, Andrew Rizzo, who played the slightly sinister cult leader. I noticed that other reviewers complained about the characters as being hippies, quirky, weird, etc - I thought they were very true to form when it comes to people that would choose to live in a commune in the desert. The set was also very convincing to me. Mostly, however, I am happy that it didn't go how I expected it to go.

I did not rate the film higher because the first act does drag, and I feel that the final reveal could have used *slightly* more backstory and foreshadowing. If you are not a fan of endings that don't wrap up everything neatly, this movie will frustrate you. Personally, I think it added to the mystery of the movie, and it would have ruined some of the mystique if they over explained what happened.

Overall, if you love found footage style horror movies like I do, this is worth a watch. If you're impatient or prefer clear endings, I would pass on this movie.