Altitude (2010)
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
DVD Release Date (UK): 14th March 2010
Directed by: Kaare Andrews
Starring: Jessica Lowndes, Juilianna Guill, Ryan Donowho, Landon Liboiron, Jake Weary
Review by: Ben Bussey
This is not the film that the above image, or the DVD cover art below, would suggest it is.
That is the image that sold this film, the premise which got fan pulses racing: a five-seater aeroplane versus Cthulhu. It’s a staggeringly cool idea, one which suggested the possibility of breaking new ground in midrange-budget horror. In the wake of Cloverfield and Monsters, the doors seem to have blown wide open on relatively inexpensive giant creature features, so the time seems just right for something Lovecraftian to be brought to the big screen.
Damn, it’s tough writing this in the wake of At The Mountains of Madness getting shit-canned.
Unfortunately, Altitude is not an especially Lovecraftian horror movie. Disregarding the supernatural element entirely for the time being, Altitude actually has more in common with the likes of Frozen, Buried and 127 Hours; young people trapped in a seemingly inescapable situation in a confined space, where death seems certain. As an ensemble piece, Altitude naturally shares the most ground with Frozen, down to its unusual blend of claustrophobia and vertigo. However, still disregarding the supernatural element for now, there are a couple of key things that Frozen did which Altitude doesn’t. Firstly, it was shot in as practical a fashion as possible, with the actors really sitting on a chair lift in the dead of night freezing their extraneous appendages off. Now, obviously I can’t badmouth Altitude for not shooting in a real plane in real storm conditions thousands of feet in the air; that would be unthinkable. But then there’s that other key thing Frozen did that Altitude didn’t: it went to the trouble of crafting layered, lifelike, relatable characters who the audience could grow invested in, and whose fate they would give a damn about. And that’s where Altitude crashes and burns, literally before it’s even taken off.
Youth-oriented horror films have a long and illustrious history in putting together thoroughly unlikeable ensembles who you can’t wait to see killed horribly; not necessarily a problem in your bog standard slasher, wherein you can rest assured that at least one will be dispatched every ten to fifteen minutes, before which you might have at least seen them naked. Altitude, however, fancies itself a serious horror movie, and to be fair there is much about it that does work; as previously stated it’s a great premise, and aesthetically it’s pretty good too, with nice cinematography, a decent score and very good SFX considering it’s not a big budget film. But at heart, Altitude is about five people trapped together, and the drama that unfolds within, owing to both internal and external factors. The external factors are fine; sudden storm, mechanical failures in the plane, mysterious monster in the sky; that’s all good. But the internal; the personal dilemmas and personality clashes? Good God…
I realise that in order to make characters relatable there is no prerequisite that they should be likeable, but seriously, these kids; I wanted them all dead, immediately. Not only that, but I found it almost impossible to believe they would all get on the damn plane to begin with. Landon Liboiron’s Bruce is terrified of flying almost to the point of hysteria, and with good reason (I won’t spoil it here, but believe me you’ll figure it out); when being up in the air naturally gets to him, it’s hard to feel any sympathy. Julianna Guill (AKA the only cast member of the Friday the 13th remake that you can remember) mentions in the extras that she never gets offered the kind of ‘arty’ girl role she plays here, and watching this you will understand why. Jessica Lowndes fares marginally better as the amateur pilot who gets them all into this fine mess, as does Ryan Donowho as an emo rock star wannabe; while both still have major arsehole-ish tendencies, neither is entirely unsympathetic.
But then there’s Jake Weary as the jock boyfriend of Julianna Guill. I don’t know whether to congratulate Mr Weary on his work here or not, for if the intent was to create the most thoroughly detestable prick ever committed to celluloid who you are anxious to see die a horrible death from the first moment he opens his mouth, then mission accomplished. Yes, every horror ensemble has its heels, but this guy takes it to another level. It’s borderline inconcievable that any of the other characters would willingly stand within two hundred yards of the insufferable twat, let alone share a six foot plane with him for upwards of an hour. He never shuts up, never shows any redeeming qualities, and never stretches beyond two dimensions.
Indeed, despite the cosmic horror elements and big Shyamalanesque finale, when all is said and done Altitude is a thoroughly two-dimensional excercise. It certainly demonstrates that Kaare Andrews has some chops as a visual stylist, and with a fully baked script I’ve no doubt he could have given us something really special. But it’s clear that all the energy has gone into making the film look good, rather than forging a real emotional connection with the viewer. The end result, as I should think I’ve made clear, is a thoroughly frustrating and unsatisfying experience.