Netflix Your Weekend – Event Horizon

After a long week you want to sit down and be able to watch a quality movie that will make you laugh, cry, sit at the edge of your seat, and have fun.  Netflix Your Weekend is Reel World Theology’s weekly pick for a movie currently available on Netflix Instant that will not only entertain but make you think and engage the story you are watching.  If you have a suggestion for a Netflix Instant movie, email Josh at J.A.Crabb22@gmail.com with the subject line “Netflix Your Weekend”.

NETFLIX YOUR WEEKEND – EVENT HORIZON

Today is Halloween, so why would I recommend anything else?  I’m not a big fan of horror, but I am a huge fan of science fiction.  These two genres, normally occupying two points in moviedom, fold together to create one crazy weird and freaky movie.

Taking place in the year 2047, the crew of a rescue ship, captained by Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) is sent to the outer edges of our solar system in search of the lost vessel, the Event Horizon.  Dr. William Weir (Sam Neill), a scientist that invented the Event Horizon’s special technology to create wormholes (hence the name Event Horizon), comes along to hopefully find out what happened to the Event Horizon.  They eventually find the ship in the orbit of Neptune and discover the ship is a tomb where unexplainable and horrible things have happened.  As the crew of the rescue ship uncover what exactly happened, they being to succumb to a force they can’t explain and foreboding revelations come to light about exactly where the Event Horizon has been.  Spooky, no?

I have a complicated relationship with this movie.  It generally received negative reviews and was a critical failure, but since then the movie has picked up a cult following and for many it is among their favorite Sci-Fi movies or Horror movies.  I really like this film for about the first two acts, but when the movie makes it final turn and the main revelations come to light (I won’t give it away), the movie gets a little strange and honestly at times gets extremely gruesome.  But not gruesome in a frightening way.  Kind of more in a dumb and overdone way.  I think it was definitely bold to end this movie on a dark note instead of a more upbeat note as a lot of Sci-Fi at this time had been doing, but I get a little lost with this movie, as well.  Again, I won’t spoil it, but if you watch this you will know what I am talking about.

I recommend this movie, however.  The first hour of this movie is a really great, tenuous slow reveal of what happened to the crew and the Event Horizon, and it really leaves you guessing.  The science of the movie is really cool, also, and seems plausible, although it probably isn’t.  All the actors do a great job and I genuinely enjoy the build up to the final third.  I just can’t get over the final third.  It falls kind of flat and devolves into no suspense and just all gore and crazy running around and explosions.  It could have been a contender.

A quick warning that I am not over-hyping the amount of gore.  It gets pretty bad and can be downright disturbing and stomach-turning.  If you are sensitive to that stuff, I would advise against this film.  Otherwise, happy viewing and Happy Halloween!

***Please note that these suggestions can be time sensitive, and if you read this article next month the selection might not be there due to the ever changing lineup of available titles on Netflix Instant.  All the more reason to watch this movie this weekend!***

Josh Crabb is an editor at Reel World Theology, as well as sometimes contributor to the Reel World Theology podcast.  You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or on Letterboxd.