It's a B-movie horror but by no means does that make Event Horizon anything less than a wonderfully unappreciated foray into the murky depths of space travel. The eclectic crew (from Lucius Malfoy to Gotham's new Alfred, via Michael Scofield's mum from Prison Break), led by Laurence Fishburne's Captain Miller, are on a mission to investigate a ship that disappeared into a black hole. What works in Event Horizon is the fluent transition of tone, as reflected in the arc of Sam Neill's character, Dr Weir. So often, sci-fi and supernatural entertain on opposite ends of the spectrum but Horizon toes the line playfully, blending themes of rationalized physics with elements of unfounded transcendent theories. Its position as a horror/sci-fi hybrid means the film finds itself foregoing the real details of both genres. It doesn't care to explain the physics behind the logic of a black hole being built into the heart of the ship, nor does it feel the need to scare you every other scene; choosing instead to release its horrors in short, violent bursts - but neither does it want to. It offers no misgivings on its inspirations, cheekily replicating the Shining-esque blood bath and spaceship designs from Alien. Its boldest move however, and the reason it should be applauded, is how it takes inspiration from these films on equal parts; drawing together two disparate genres in an attempt to create a unique cinematic experience.
