Triangle - A Movie Review

I swear I’ve been here before. This all looks so familiar.

Triangle found its way into theaters in 2009. Left stranded on their boat, a group of friends gets on a stray shift. Noticing something peculiar about this ship, what happens next is hard to describe.

Wow, did I have this movie all wrong from the get-go? Every second my mouth hung open and I gasped. We need more films like these. Triangle is a film that you need to walk in totally blind. In this mind-spinning film, you never know what’s right.

Melissa George is the driving force of Triangle. George was amazing in the film, dictating strong emotions and the whole history of her character. She knew how to play Jess and did it well.

Jess never gives up trying to figure out solutions to end the peculiar set of events. Caught in a frantic state of mind, I feel that Jess could have thought of a better way to avoid the situation entirely instead of going about with horrific notions.

Since I knew little about this film, I thought it was going to involve more of the ensemble. Jack Taylor, Michael Dorman, Henry Nixon, Rachael Carpani, Emma Lang, and Liam Hemsworth worked very well in their scenes together. Jess has the focus, but still, pay close attention to all the interactions.

With the setup of the story, the cast had to do creative scenes, sometimes similar but with a different approach and mood altogether. That’s what I like about these types of films.

One can establish several theories from this film. There is not much I can say without spoiling. I will tell you that Triangle is not what you think. It’s a film that deserves a second watch to point out all the clues missed on the first watch.

It’s very clear that the ship is CG. It makes it all the more unnatural. The offputting design of the ship and all the rooms were developed wonderfully. The long-winded halls, empty rooms, and the camera lurking around each corner are eerie. Some designs, like the hallway and one specific room number, are replicants of The Shining.

My mouth hung open on dozens of occasions. I want to go back and watch this film over. I know we’re all going to have a different opinion about it, but the whole subplot involving what Jess does to her friends didn’t feel like the right approach. With what is going on, who’s to say that she hasn’t tried certain things?

Visuals are strong in Triangle. Images grabbed your attention. There was a moment when I gasped, slightly backing away from my screen from a sight that is tough to believe. Christopher Smith did an excellent job with the layout, and subtle touches, but mostly the ending of the film.

After watching the film I went and read about symbolic references used in the film. Once you read about them, the film has a whole different underlayer to it.

Thriller films, like Triangle, grab your attention. They make you think. What if an event like this occurred in your life? Just when you’re rooting for the story to take the route you’ve been hoping for, boy does your mood take a complete 180.

If you’re going to watch Triangle, go into it totally blind. Why is this film not talked about more? Yes, I get why some wouldn’t like it for its setup of action or continuous takes. Give it a chance. I really enjoyed this movie. Definitely look for it during the Halloween season.