Have you heard of the Dyatlov Pass Incident? It’s a real life mystery that took place on February 2, 1959 in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Nine ski hikers were found dead, presumably from natural causes – since they were hiking a mountain range – but what the search party found during the grueling days after discovery is what has made the Dyatlov Pass Incident one of the most debated, possibly paranormal cover-ups to date. Apparently, the tent the hikers were sleeping in had been cut open from the inside. Almost all of the hikers had fled the tent with little to no clothing on, not even with shoes on their feet. Two of the bodies were found high in a tree. Several bodies were discovered to have HIGH levels of radiation in them, others were mutliated – tounges, eyes missing – and other’s had suffered broken ribs and skulls yet they showed no signs of soft tissue injury. Yeti, aliens, and secret military happenings are some of the many rumors that have come out of the Dyatlov Pass Incident. One thing is for certain, though, something strange did happen on that mountain…
This brings us to Devil’s Pass, a movie proclaiming to be based on true events. In the movie, five filmmakers decide to shoot a documentary in hopes of exposing the truth about the Dyatlov Pass Incident. This requires them to retrace the original hikers footsteps up the mountain and into the range dubbed The Mountain of The Dead. As you will see, the name will live up to its reputation.
Devil’s Pass is written by Vikram Weet and directed by Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea, and Exorcist: The Beginning). Cast members include Holly Goss, Matt Stokoe, Luke Albright (12 Rounds), Ryan Hawley, Gemma Atkinson (Night Wolf).
Devil’s Pass is filmed as a found footage flick. I know a lot of horror fans don’t care for that style of filmmaking, but honestly, I love it when it’s done correctly. It’s much easier for me to be scared – or feel scared for the characters – when titles are shot as found footage because it makes the film appear to be real. I often think, “What would I do if I was in that situation?” Devil’s Pass is a shining – and disturbing – example of this shooting style demonstrated correctly and is one of the better found footage features in recent years. Although only parts of Chernobyl Diaries were filmed in this way, Devil’s Pass succeedes where Chernobyl Diaries failed.
The scenary in Devil’s Pass is breathtaking, a stark contrast to the dark and horrifying events that will take place on the beautiful mountain peaks. Despite being filmed in Russia, the mountains depicted in the movie are not the actual ones where the real Dyatlov Incident took place. Speaking on contrasts for a second again, when the remaining survivors make it to the secret bunker, it has a totally new feel and it looks like the film shifted to the 1950s…but with all the characters and their culture remaining current. So many different, opposing forces are in play during this movie. It becomes almost impossible to guess where the story will go to next.
Production-wise, Devil’s Pass is a found footage movie so all the picture and audio qualities aren’t always the best, but this is to be expected. What really drives the terror home the most is the performances from the cast. Many castmembers in this title don’t have a long resume of distiguished credits, yet they managed to pull off stellar and believable performances. Actions and tones of voice that aren’t over the top or subpar are always the best because, again, it makes the film appear more real to the viewers. Honest, genuine fear and suspense.
The only critique I have of Devil’s Pass is the last twenty minutes. It tries to cram so many new theories and plot devices into the ending that it becomes jumbled and doesn’t make much sense. Ok, so, was it mutants or bigfoot? Was it the government or an alien time machine? Avalanche? Pick one! Also, using an CGI in a found footage flick is not keeping up with your original movie design. Practical effects should always be used in a found footage, independent flick because it gives your film a better look. The reason found footage films were shot in this style was to try and trick audiences into believing what they saw on the screen was real. How can their be CGI in a footage that was “found” after a “real event?”
The ending of the movie was pretty much a disaster, but everything before that was excellent. I’ll rate Devil’s Pass a 6 out of 10 based on most of the material being great and my genuine interest in the Dyatlov Pass Incident. And I will say this, Devil’s Pass had potential to be so much better than it was. The director just lost his vision for the project at some point. Scary, but confusing at the end.
