Wow... I had no idea that so many people were hating on Event Horizon.
That makes me
sad.
...
Honestly, it's not a perfect movie, but I agree with V that it is definitely a standout movie, and is one of my all-time favorite movies - both in the science fiction genre as well as horror.
Points to note:
- This is not an Alien rip-off. While, yes, the crew is on a salvage mission, the "horror" of the film is not monster or slasher.
- This is not a Doom rip-off. While, conceptually, both movies consider the possibility of resurrecting a Hell dimension, Doom would fall under the "siege" genre and be closer to Aliens as opposed to Alien or Event Horizon. Conceivably, Hellraiser revolves around a Hell dimension, but is not comparable to either Doom or Event Horizon within its horror genre.
- As Rod said, Event Horizon can be categorized under the "haunted house" genre (as can Alien, for that matter). However, I take no issue with the archetype of the "haunted house" being taken into space. What is uniquely interesting about space films is that they are ultimately and incredibly Nihilistic. Most religions believing in God consider "God" being "beyond Earth." In space, you are literally "beyond Earth," and there is literally nothing but you, so you are either alone or you are God. It's incredibly alienating and incredibly isolating. What is wonderful about Event Horizon is that it uses super natural elements to emphasize this isolation.
- What specifically separates Event Horizon from Alien (aside from the obvious; monster vs. super natural) is that the "horror" in Event Horizon is "human atrocity," which includes emotional "disturbing" horror as well as torture.
- I have very little problem with the direction. While some aspects of the movie (the ship, in particular), are utterly ridiculous, you either suspend your disbelief or no. I was able to suspend my disbelief, but I can see why that would be difficult for some.
In short, gentle n00b, you should give this movie a try. The fact of the matter is, you're debating
whether or not you should Netflix it. If you love it, great. If you hate it, send it back. What's great about Netflix is, amazingly enough, you don't feel like quite as much of a
douche when you rent something errantly. You're not out $5, as you would if you had rented it from Blockbuster. So suck up the indecision and
just do it.