Shuttle [DVD] [2008]

I watched this a week ago and I am STILL thinking about it! I actually got it purely based on the synopsis and did not read any reviews beforehand so wasn't really expecting anything - I actually thought it might be a low budget rip-off of all the other thriller/slasher/horror types in the genre. First few minutes I thought 'here we go - another bunch of useless actors..' Within 20 minutes or so, I was eating my words!

Two girls are back from a holiday - they need a ride to the hotel but instead of taking the bus, they opt for the shuttle as the guy offers to take them for half price - big mistake! You will soon realize something is off and the story unfolds from there.

OK, so you will be forgiven for thinking you've seen this kind of thing before (same old story, new context) but you would be wrong. The film has just the right pace and gives the audience just enough bait to keep them hooked all the way to the end. The film will keep you guessing as you try to figure out what's going on and why. There is also a nice twist about two thirds into the film that I certainly didn't see coming!

No review for this film would be complete without mention of the ending: the ending is probably one of the most original, unexpected, disturbing things I've seen in a long time. It will resonate with most people I think.

So, will you enjoy this film? If you have enjoyed something like Paradise Lost - Extreme Edition (Unrated) [2007] [DVD] or perhaps even the Hostel series, I think you will enjoy this film. With Shuttle, it's not so much about the blood and gore (although there is a bit of this), the film really takes you on a pretty tense, disturbing ride. It's filmed in a way that looks realistic, making it all the more shocking! And if you're anything like me, you'll still be talking about the film days after you've seen it! Highly recommended!

I watched Shuttle not expecting great things but it did suprise me. Good acting and a believable cast added to a decent storyline. There is also a good twist half way through that neither myself nor my girlfriend saw coming! It isn't a super scary film but it is gripping and I found it very watchable indeed.

Worth buying for sure.

Shuttle may not be the most original horror thriller in the world, but writer/director Edward Anderson takes the film to places some directors would never go, and it is that unflinching brutality and darkness that really sets this film apart. The terror builds slowly at first, but it never lets up once it's started; in fact, the emotional storm reconstitutes and re-strengthens itself on several occasions. Yes, there are moments when you would plead with the characters to make a move and do something, but this film nevertheless defies the stereotypes of the genre, presenting us with leading characters who display the kind of guts and initiative that female victims are all too lacking in most cinematic cases. Both of the lead actresses are just marvelous, and their performances are what make this thriller so intense and memorable.

The dangerous part of a Mexican vacation is supposed to be getting out of Mexico without being kidnapped or killed by some thug, probably using a gun supplied to the Mexican underworld by our own questionable Department of Justice. For Mel (Peyton List) and Jules (the uber-gorgeous Cameron Goodman), though, danger finds them right after they've landed safely back in the States, when they take the last shuttle out from the airport that dark and rainy night. They are accompanied by a mousy, middle-aged accountant and two young men who give up their own ride just because one of them is intent on making time with one of these lovely ladies. It eventually becomes clear that the driver (Tony Curran) is not taking them downtown at all, as he drives into less and less populated areas before making his plans all too evident. It's not clear where he's taking them, but it is some place decidedly not good. Mel seems to be the only one determined to fight back, but even she could not foresee the series of surprises and misfortunes that will befall everyone on board before the night is through. Well, the one major surprise isn't really all that surprising, but the bad guy - not to mention the director - has absolutely no pity when it comes to seeing his plans through.

As you might expect, our abduction victims fail to seize several opportunities early on to get themselves out of their predicament. I'm an admittedly cowardly sort of fellow, but there were moments when I would have risen up and made my move - so that is frustrating, especially since we're talking about such beautiful young women being in danger. Still, Mel more than proves herself as the night drags on and the terror grows ever more intense.

Shuttle may not be for everyone, but I consider it one of the better thrillers I've seen in recent years. For one thing, this is the sort of thing that could actually happen to anyone. This isn't a bunch of frat boys and coeds going out into the woods to drink and fool around, only to run into a bunch of inbred cannibals; it's two girls simply trying to get home from the airport. Then you have the fact that these are very sympathetic victims. Not only are these girls beautiful, they are best friends with some underlying issues of their own - and they don't simply sit back and accept their fates without fighting back. Stepping back from the characters themselves, what you'll find is a tight script and focused direction that gets the most out of every scene before plunging into the next one, rarely giving the viewer time to remember that this is just a movie. It's a shame this film hasn't garnered more attention because, from start to finish, Shuttle is a true thriller in every sense of the word.