Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill star in cult classic horror Event Horizon, new on 4K UHD
Film criticism’s a funny old thing. Some people couldn’t care less about what us critics have to say, while some take every word of ours as gospel, and decide to get mad at us when our opinion doesn’t line up with theirs. There’s also this weird idea that it’s impossible, as a critic, to ever change your mind on a film. That once you form an opinion, you must stick to it for the rest of your life and never, ever deviate from it. But here’s the thing: that’s really stupid. I’m here to tell you that it’s always more than okay to change your mind on a movie after subsequent viewings – because I’ve just done exactly that. I’m going to disagree with virtually every word of what I wrote about Event Horizon back in 2019 because, having been given a preview of the new 4K restoration that hits UK shelves next week, I’ve finally realised something: Event Horizon is an amazing movie.
To some people reading this, that statement will be extremely obvious. To others, it won’t mean anything. Others still probably won’t have even heard of Event Horizon. That’s all cool! For anyone in the latter camp, let me catch you up. Event Horizon is something of a cult classic. Since debuting in 1997 to terrible reviews, it’s gone on to widespread acclaim within the horror community, and is largely regarded as an essential part of the sci-fi/horror genre. It follows a team of astronauts on a mission to deep space to investigate a signal from the vessel Event Horizon, thought lost years ago. What they find there will leave them forever changed…
It would probably go without saying that this is director Paul WS Anderson’s best movie, but I’d like to stress that anyway. I can’t claim to have seen all his other movies, but the ones I have seen are… a mixed bag. Regardless: this one is great – mostly. It’s far from a perfect movie, but as far as sci-fi horror flicks go, it’s a cut above most of them.
It helps the film a lot that the cast is massively game. Sam Neill steals the show, but everyone else (including Laurence Fishburne, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Richard T Jones, Jack Noseworthy and Sean Pertwee) gives him a hell of a run for his money. We know just enough about each crew member that we become invested in their struggle – obviously some are more fleshed out than others, but that’s the nature of an ensemble slasher movie: not everyone makes it to the end.
Even so, what immediately grabbed me upon second viewing was the tone of the film: the mood, the vibes, the constant sense of unease about what the crew is doing so far out in space, and what they may find when they reach their destination. This is a film that uses the idea of ‘space’ incredibly well: despite the vastness of the ship’s surroundings, there’s an innate claustrophobia present in almost every scene that only adds to the horror when it gets going. The Event Horizon is so massive, so empty, so intimidating – it’s almost alive at times, like a character in and of itself, stalking the crew, taunting them with visions of the lives they left behind and may never return to. Visually, it’s certainly something to behold.
Those visions showcase both some of the film’s best and most underbaked components. When Event Horizon was panned upon its release, it soon emerged that its production process had been both rushed and cut by Paramount, leaving Anderson with only four weeks to edit the film. During this time he assembled a 130-minute rough cut, which he went on record as saying was too long and needed more time to mature. This version of the film was cut by a further 35 minutes by Paramount after poor test screenings, resulting in the version released to cinemas and home video. Much of the cut footage would almost certainly have benefitted the film: extended visions and hauntings, as well as more in-depth backstories for certain crew members and a longer version of the so-called ‘blood orgy’ would easily have pushed the film from cult classic to genre staple.
This cut footage is the main reason why this new 4K release is a tad disappointing: it isn’t included in any form – but we can't put that at the door of the people in charge of this release. In 2011, Anderson stated that much of the footage was lost forever and, despite his original cut being found on VHS, would never see the light of day. This is… a shame! It certainly doesn’t appear to be Anderson’s fault, but wouldn’t it be amazing to see his original vision fully realised? I know I’d buy that Blu-ray.
Regardless, the 4K release we do get is absolutely worth a look if you’re considering the upgrade. Fully remastered and complete with Dolby Vision and HDR10, it’s a beautiful-looking disc. The picture is crisp and clear, and despite the abundance of darkness in the film, the image is never murky – the horror is sharper than ever, and plain for all to see. The new release also comes in one of two gorgeous-looking steelbook sets; these weren’t available for us to review, but here at Feels For Reels we know a thing or two about a good steelbook set – and these look stunning.
In fact, the only thing really working against this new release is the lack of extras included on the new disc. There’s no new content at all, which is something of a shame – the Blu-ray is packed with pre-existing features including a commentary track and a ton of mini-docs, but some new featurettes, especially as the film turns 25 this month, wouldn’t have gone amiss.
But hey, if you’re a fan of the movie and looking to upgrade, we can’t recommend the 4K disc enough – the picture and sound quality are genuinely beautiful, though the price tag is a little on the steep side, especially if you’re double-dipping. If you haven’t seen it before but love yourself a little space horror, it might be worth a gamble – there’s blood and guts aplenty, with plenty of scares to be had in the haunting visuals and sudden shocks. It’s taken years, but it seems like the tides are finally starting to turn on Event Horizon – and not before time.
8/10
Event Horizon is available on 4K Ultra HD™ from August 8.
Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.