Not all cult films are good horror movies. Some of them are loved for their horrible graphics or unintentional humor. Every once in a while a great horror film falls through the cracks, only to resurface years later. When it comes to Event Horizon, it has a cult status because of its faults, not because of what it does well.
This science fiction horror film tells the story of the rescue vessel, Lewis and Clark, and its attempt to rescue another ship, the Event Horizon, in 2047. 7 years earlier the Event Horizon, which was supposed to be the most powerful space ship of all time, seemingly disappeared only to pop up again. As the crew, led by Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) and Dr. William Weir (Sam Neill) board the ship, it is clear there is something very wrong with the Event Horizon due to gravitational pulls, artificial black holes, and gravity drive. A lot of science fiction lingo is tossed around, but all that really matters is the Event Horizon was so sophisticated and powerful it warped into a completely different dimension, which is later revealed to be something like hell. Demons are now roaming about and even the sanest crew members get flipped to the dark side.The plot is incredibly interesting and it’s refreshing to see demons and hell in space. In fact, the entire movie is pretty entertaining, but for the simple reason that it makes you laugh more than anything else. The graphics are horrible and the writing is also laughable. All of this tomfoolery takes away from the horror of it all. What could have been a genuinely scary horror film turns into a carnival of laughs and cheap scares.
If Event Horizon were judged simply on its entertainment value, then it would receive a decent rating. Sadly, this movie mocks the truly scary and ultimately horror itself. I don’t think it’s too harsh to say that Event Horizon plays like a farce or parody rather than a genuine horror film.
With the horror genre in desperate need of masterful work, it is sad to see where horror goes wrong. I understand not taking yourself too seriously, but horror fans deserve truly artful and terrifying films. Event Horizon, while interesting, doesn’t save horror, but rather kicks it while it’s down.
If you liked Event Horizon, you might also like The Thing.