Three friends discover their new mysterious
roommate dead with a suitcase full of money. CRIME/HORROR
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Shallow Grave (1994)Directed by Danny Boyle
Written by John Hodge Starring Ewan McGregor, Kerry Cox, Christopher Eccleston, Keith Allen, Ken Stott, Colin McCredie |
Shallow Grave was Danny Boyle's first feature film, and already you could tell the man had talent behind the camera. Throughout the film, you can see hints of the future, of Trainspotting, of 28 Days Later. It's a smart foray into psychological horror combined with snappy black comedy that works extremely well because of its obnoxious, unlikable characters. This film deals with a situation we've all wondered about at least once or twice. What would happen if you stumbled onto a dead guy with a case full of cash? In this case, it would reveal who your friends really are, and how far they're willing to go to have it all.
Ewan McGregor, Kerry Cox, and Christopher Eccleston play the three flatmates (Alex, Juliet, and David respectively) who discover their new mate's body and decide to dismember him and bury him in order to keep his cash. What they don't know is that there are two criminals after the guy, but that becomes secondary as we are treated to the complete transformation of the three flatmates. All three actors were brilliant, perfectly conveying the mixture of greed, obsession, and betrayal that completely overtakes them. It's around this point in the film that the comedy mostly subsides, and the film takes a sharp left into full-on horror. Shallow Grave deals with familiar subject matter in an intelligent way, and gives us exactly the scenario we expected to see but with a few twists and turns along the way. Danny Boyle's skill as a director was already impressive, and without this film, audiences never would've been treated to his impressive filmography. It was fun to review a good horror movie for a change. I hope I get to be surprised some more. |