Horror Movie Review: Black Mountain Side (2014)

A flawed horror movie, Black Mountain Side’s biggest issue is that it doesn’t some to know what kind of movie it wants to be. Dealing with parasitic infection horror, psychological trauma, isolation and its effects on the mind. As well as other-worldly and ancient evils. It’s a hell of a lot with threads grabbed and dropped constantly making for an unbalanced watch.

However, it’s not a complete waste of time. We get snippets of an interesting story, some solid acting here and there, as well as great cinematography.

The story surrounds a group of scientists isolated in cold of Northern British Columbia. There, they make a startling discovery. Proof that Meso-American culture was present here. However, that’s not all. They also uncover the tip of what looks to be a buried temple of sorts.

The importance of this discovery can’t be understated but not long after, things begin to go wrong for the group. With suspicion and paranoia starting to take hold within the group, survival becomes the most important thing.

Black Mountain Side builds a lot of anticipation but mostly fails to pay it off. The mystery of the temple? Pushed to one side. The parasitic infection that sees one character get his arm amputated? It happens and that’s that. The isolation and lack of communication? Barely dealt making it hard to understand the descent of madness that grips some of the men.

The only thing that gets a lot of focus is the ominous voice that speaks to some of the group. Whispering in their ears and driving them to the point of madness. It’s an angle that would work if the payoff was worthwhile but it’s not.

Which brings us to yet another problem… the effects. A movie that looks its best from far away (nailing the loneliness and isolation of the location), everything else just looks off. The two that standout for all the wrong reasons are afore-mentioned arm-amputation which looks very fake and the physical manifestation of the voice, which is laughable. Two important moments ruined by below par effects.

Hit and miss acting, many slow moments and a constant feeling that it may have been held back by budget, Black Mountain Side is not something you’ll remember once it ends.