Director: Carlo Ledesma
Writer: Enzo Tedeschi, Julian Harvey (Screenplay)
Starring: Bel Delia, Andy Rodoreda, Steve Davis, Luke Arnold, Goran D Kleut, James Caitlin, Ben Maclaine, Peter McAllum
Plot: An investigation into a government cover-up leads to a network of abandoned train tunnels deep beneath the heart of Sydney. As a journalist and her crew hunt for the story it quickly becomes clear the story is hunting them.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Good Found Footage Film
Story: The Tunnel starts with the emergency phone from a lady stuck in the tunnel. We move to learn the story about how Australia is looking at solutions for lack of water reserves and how the answer could be with the underground tunnels beneath the cities.
After that story goes quiet a reporter Natasha Warner (Delia) puts together a team Peter (Rodoreda), Steve (Davis) and Tangles (Arnold) to investigate what is in the tunnels, by getting no answers from the Government and connection she decides to take her team into the tunnels as they look for answers, without the required permits.
When Tangles disappears, the remaining three must figure out what to do and with their lights going missing we watch how two of them look back on what happened trying to figure out what they could have done first time around.
The Tunnel is a film that enters into the found footage genre and makes sense, by this I mean that filming was for a story rather than just to be filming. My big disappointment with this film is that we know who survives because they are telling the story like this is a re-creation of the events, even though we see the ‘actual’ footage of the event. The whole film does end up have a true documentary film much like ‘Lake Mungo’ did. I think the creature is brilliant because you don’t fully see it which adds to the horror. When it comes to found footage films you really should give this a watch.
Actor Review
Bel Delia: Natasha Warner is the ambitious young reporter that sees this story as her chance to make an impact, she plays the rest of the team to make this happen. She panics like most people would in the outcome of the events and sadly falls into the damsel of distress. Bel gives us a god performance in this role feeling like a natural character in the events.
Andy Rodoreda: Peter Ferguson is the partner in this story who ends up finding out he has been tricked into going on this story. He wants to be involved in a different but reluctantly accepts the story. Andy gives a good performance even though he doesn’t want to be there.
Steve Davis: Steve Miller is the cameraman of the team who is best friends with Tangles, he is always behind the camera giving his reaction that all seem very really throughout. Steve does good job in this role being the guy you can understand most with his choice.
Luke Arnold: Jim ‘Tangles’ Williams is the sound tech guy who mysteriously disappears in the quest for the story. Luke does a good job in this role even though he isn’t around that much.
Support Cast: The Tunnel doesn’t really have too much of a supporting cast and any we do see only have a couple of scenes.
Director Review: Carlo Ledesma – Carlo gives us a great found footage story that really ends up being a brilliant use of the material.
Horror: The Tunnel takes it time to bring us the horror but once it is upon us it has great scares and terror till the end.
Mystery: The Tunnel brings us a mystery that ends up being the reason for the story being investigated.
Thriller: The Tunnel keeps us waiting to see who will make it out alive by the end of the film, even though we know.
Settings: The Tunnel gives us a claustrophobic feeling from start to finish in the tunnels.
Special Effects: The Tunnel has great effects to create the creature in the tunnel.
Suggestion: The Tunnel is one of the films that all found footage fans will enjoy simple as that. (Found Footage Fans Watch)
Best Part: Creature.
Worst Part: We know who survives.
Scariest Scene: Security Guard finding them.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: As Above So Below
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: AUD 135,000
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Tagline: Witness the viral movie of the year!
Overall: Found Footage done correctly,
Rating
