Elevator (2011, Stig Svendsen)

I recently found out that I suffer from mild claustrophobia. The thought of climbing through a small space or having my arms restricted instantly gives me a panic attack (I'm having a mild one now just thinking about it). Though I haven't yet found myself curled in the fetal position on the floor of an elevator, I can see getting trapped in one would probably spark a slight freak out (though that's probably common for most people). Well, for anyone who wants to feel that fear right in their living room, here's a new film from Inception Media Group called Elevator.

Elevator begins with a group of characters (appropriately) getting into an elevator in a corportate building. It is revealed that they are all going up to the top floor to attend a company party. Included are two brokers for the company, the newscaster girlfriend of one of the brokers, a pregnant woman who also works for the company, the company president and his grandaughter, a comedian hired for the party, a security guard and an older woman who is an investor for the company. As is expected, the elevator gets stuck on the 49th floor and to top it all off it is revealed that there is a bomb in the elevator.

The cover art for Elevator (see above) really threw me off. I was sort of expecting something more horror-oriented with elevator zombies or something but the film was more suspense than horror. The cast of characters (especially Joey Slotnick as the comedian who I remember from the show The Single Guy) are all great and very professional. The claustrophobic camerawork adds a lot of extra fear and as the film progresses, you find yourself closer to the edge of your seat. The ending was satisfying and unexpected while there was also a few nice gory scenes thrown in for horror fans. Oh, and did you ever wonder what happened to Kevin's cousin Buzz in Home Alone? Well he's in this movie (and has put on a few pounds). Overall, the movie was very tense and there wasn't a single slow moment. The film makers put the $3 million dollar budget to good use and created a very satisfying thriller that I hope more people will discover.

RATING: 8/10