The Man in the Maze (2011) Movie Review

It’s time to review another Maze movie ! This one is a standard low budget horror film. Let’s get to it !

The Man in The Maze (IMDB) (Amazon)

The Man in The Maze movie poster

I have always liked how James Bond movies start with action. Like the story has been happening and they turned the camera mid-story to let you in on what is going on. The Man in The Maze starts with a masked man having already captured 3 people, all of them injured and passed out (maybe dead ? - the viewer isn’t sure yet ) and the assumed assailant working to bind them.

Not giving too much away, not that most of you would care, but this becomes a horror chase movie through a wooded area that the 4 main characters do not know, making it a bit of a maze. And there is a curse on some of the ground they stumble upon, the ancient Native American burial grounds from the Trail of Tears. Things get complicated. Who is this masked assailant and can the group escape ?

I have seen some bad movies. This is plagued by bad acting, dialogue, and a script similar to a much better Spanish movie Los Cronocimenes, which has nothing to do with a maze but has a similar masked chaser. Watch The Man in The Maze only if forced to, 3/10.

Here is the trailer:

Iteration 1 (2016) Movie Review

Today we dive into another maze-ish related short film from 2016, Iteration 1, directed by Jesse Lupini.

Iteration 1 (IMDB)

Iteration 1 movie poster

Here is the premise of the short film: A woman (played by Katharine Isabelle who you might know from Ginger Snaps) wakes up in a bed in the middle of a well-lit white room with black grids on the walls. She has 60 seconds to, well, after 60 seconds she collapses and everything resets. Her goal, although never stated is to find a way out of the place she is in (which is about as specific as I can get because it isn’t really clear except it is maze-like). Each time she awakens a voice declares the Iteration # she is on.

And it’s weird with little dialogue but actually fun to watch. You’ll find yourself telling the woman, hey, maybe try this (or that). Definitely worth a viewing ! I give it a 7/10 and suggest you invest the 14 minutes you will need to watch this film.

The best part about short films is you can often watch them for free on YouTube !!

Exit (2011) Movie Review

Today we dive into another maze related movie review, the 2011 Australian TV Movie Exit.

Exit (IMDB) (Amazon)

Exit movie poster

Here is the premise of Exit: groups of people wander around a city looking for a door that leads to an exit to another place, out of the maze of the city. They aren’t sure what this new place is or what it is like but they become obsessed with finding the door and getting there. Cool concept.

The best part about this movie by far is the cinematography with excellent sweeping views of the city landscape really capturing the essence of the place. It feels industrial and very much like a city of large grey buildings. The music also fits well and creates the appropriate mood.

The pace of the movie is a bit slow. I think that is because beyond long sections of dialogue, not much is really happening. Things are mysterious, but they never feel very tense or urgent. I think with a few tweaks this could have been a really good movie. Instead it’s average for what it is, a low budget sci-fi movie. A big budget remake with some action, a compelling dark antagonist, and a Dan Brown type puzzle unfolding makes this a big success. All you need is a couple million and Dan Brown to help with the script, that should be easy !!!!

I give it a 6.2/10.

The Depraved (2011) Movie Review

A group of people are led into the vast Berlin underground thru a secret entrance in a club by a local guide. That is the set-up for the movie The Depraved, so how is this horror movie and should you see it ?

The Depraved (IMDB) (Amazon)

The Depraved movie poster

If you are going to get lost in a maze-like space it’s always a good idea to make sure it is dark, damp, underground, and full of trash, rats and bugs. Because, naturally that makes for a better horror movie. Now if you are scoring at home, that is worth about 2 points (out of 10). Without getting into specifics about the plot there becomes a reason why the group needs to split up, because that is always a good idea in a horror movie that NEVER leads to any complications, EVER.

Now one thing about the version I watched was that the parts in German where not subtitled, but in a horror movie the context is enough to understand what is happening. There are a few versions on YouTube in other languages where you will not understand the German. I don’t think it hindered the “plot”. So how is the movie ? Terrible. 4/10.

Here is a trailer to get you pumped to NOT see this !