Outpost (2007)

Outpost (2007)

Director: Steve Barker
Writer: Rae Brunton
Cast: Ray Stevenson, Julian Wadham, Richard Brake, Paul Blair, Brett Fancy
Outpost follows a crack team of battle-hardened mercenaries on a routine mission to protect a mysterious businessman through the no-man's land of war-torn Eastern Europe. However, after he leads them to a long forgotten, underground outpost, they unwittingly reawaken a lurking terror that soon changes their mission from one of safe-guarding, to one of survival, as they desperately battle an enemy even they've never faced before. Laced with a suffocating, claustrophobic chill that infuses every one of its terrifying set-pieces, Outpost is a gut-wrenching, adrenaline-fuelled horror film that makes for gruesome, thrilling viewing and an experience so horrifying that you'll never ignore your history again.

'Highly atmospheric war based horror film with slight science fiction overtones. A band of mercenaries are brought together for what should be a simple A-Z manoeuvre. Only when the Mercs arrive at an old World War 2 Outpost midway between their destinations. The exercise turns from getting to their location, into one of finding an ancient WWII device the nazi’s were working on. The machine alters dimensions allowing full army’s to travel and move into areas unseen. Only back in WWII something went wrong and trapped a full division of soldiers (now undead) within the machines dimension portal. The film works more on tension and its atmosphere than blood and gore which I was thankful for. It comes across a little bit like The Keep crossed with the Thai horror R-Point. The mercenaries are well put together from a broad set of country’s English, Russian and American, all with their own distinctive characters you got the captain, a nervy church goer, a gung ho stereotypical thief. Unlike a Romero undead film here they’re done more sparingly (most likely due to budget restraints) which give the film a much moodier in the shadows/darkness tension, I guess more in keeping with Guillermo del Toro style. I loved the old newsreel style clips the film uses to shed light on the machine. Comes highly recommended, who knows Steve Barker could be the next British director alongside Neil Marshall to launch them self on the world horror/cult movie scene. whatever happens in his future this will be without a doubt one of the horror highlights of 2008. [there didn't mention zombies once]'

(8 out of 10)