Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    HORROR SCREAMS VIDEO VAULT – SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT HORROR
    • Home
    • Film Reviews
      • Films Beginning With Numbers or Symbols
      • A – C
      • D – F
      • G – I
      • J – L
      • M – O
      • P – R
      • S – U
      • V – X
      • Y – Z
    • Book Reviews
    • Franchise Corner
    • Competitions
    • Horror Screams Podcast
    • Contact Us
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    HORROR SCREAMS VIDEO VAULT – SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT HORROR

    Film Review: THE POOL (2018)

    Peter 'Witchfinder' HopkinsBy Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins25th September 2020No Comments2 Mins Read

    THE POOL **** Thailand 2018 Dir: Ping Lumpraploeng. 91 mins

    A dynamic, stripped-down survivalist / nature-on-the-rampage flick in which hunky, diabetic commercial art director Day (Theeradej Wongpuapan) is supervising the clean-up of a six-meter-deep pool after an underwater shoot. Failing to notice the newspaper headlines of a local flooding crisis and an escaped resident from a nearby crocodile farm, he falls asleep on an inflatable raft and wakes up to find the water level has dropped to the point where he can’t get out. Plus, he has an unexpected guest. What follows is a hyper-intense, superbly directed escalating Series of Unfortunate Events that would make a great double bill with last year’s thematically similar CRAWL. Working on the basis of “what can go wrong…does”, it unfolds a succession of sweat-inducing perils and dilemmas: mobile phone out of reach, rainstorm, dog-in-peril, Day’s sweet-but-demanding girlfriend Koi (Ratnamon Ratchiratham) showing up for an ill-advised dive, etc. Likeably essaying a hero who is self-conscious about being a penniless artist and afraid of commitment, Day is worth rooting for, and writer-director Ping Lumpraploeng puts him through the ringer: few will fail to wince at the personal injuries he sustains, including a harrowing bit involving a snapped fingernail. While he employs survivalist tips learned from Tom Hanks in CASTAWAY, there’s a winning streak of gallows humour at the heart of the movie’s excruciating escape attempts, hollow triumphs and various brutal confrontations with the (superbly realised) crocodile. The script is outrageously contrived and the slo-mo drama corny – but it is dedicated to pure entertainment, not reality, and signals its own keen sense of self-mockery via the character journey of Day’s beloved canine pal Lucky. Capped by a thrilling, borderline-insane, frenetic finale, this would make an awesome packed-theatre midnight movie experience…but even watched alone at home is thrilling enough to be crowned (wait for it) : Greatest Killer Croc Movie of All Time. You heard it here first.

    Review by Steven West

     

    FacebookLikeShareTweetPin
    Action Crocodile Drama Horror Ping Lumpraploeng The Pool

    Related Posts

    Film Review: THE HOUSE OF THE SERPENT (2022)

    12th May 202503 Mins Read
    Read More

    VIPCO & BayView Entertainment release dramatic thriller CURSED BY HAPPINESS

    7th May 202501 Min Read
    Read More

    Sci-Fi Action Comedy CLONE COPS Replicates on VOD & DVD

    7th May 202503 Mins Read
    Read More

    BayView Entertainment dare you to witness 31 KILLS OF HALLOWEEN

    30th April 202501 Min Read
    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Recent Posts
    • Indie Underground Filmmakers unite for Amityverse: End Game – The Curse Ends Here?
    • First Images From NEW The Return of the Living Dead Movie, Trash’s Revenge
    • Voodoo Horror Thrives In “Bitter Souls” – Official Trailer
    • “SHOOT FROM THE HIP: RISE OF THE PHANTOM” starring Jimmy Drain, Natasha Coppola-Shalom, Mohawk Bob Bagnall,Dawna Lee Heising, & more has its red carpet premiere
    • This Christmas Horror will give you a SHIVER
    Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.