In order to provide a reasonably objective film score, I've broken down each element so the reader can see my thought process and assess whether a movie is worth their time. A lot of reviews seem to operate on emotional reaction rather than strict analysis and this is my attempt to provide a decent alternative to the consumer. The final scores will be shown at the end of the review.
Film: Triangle
Year: 2009
Country: UK
Language: English
Format Reviewed: Blu-ray
Rating: R (violence and language)
Each score is between 1 and 10.
A score of 1 is fatally flawed.
5 is creatively unoffensive yet mediocre.
10 is perfection.
Family Tree:
The writer/director, Christopher Smith, also directed Black Death and wrote/directed Severance.
The lead actresses, Melissa George, is known for her parts in the television series' The Good Wife and Grey's Anatomy.
Story Grades
Coherency: 8.5
Triangle revolves around a central mystery that, initially, will have the viewers rolling their eyes at the seemingly nonsensical actions of the protagonists only to gasp in astonishment as the plot reveals itself and fully explains the films internal logic.
In the end, any minor plot holes may be overlooked due to the sheer audacity and eventual coherency of the film's main conceit.
Emotional Depth: 6
Spotty acting from the supporting cast bring down some moments that may have been quite emotionally rewarding. Part of the allure of this film is how the genre morphs as the narrative progresses and the entire front end is a genre with very little in terms of emotional investment on the part of most audiences.
Once all is revealed, some major emotional punches land; but for some viewers this may be too little too late.
Originality: 7
To talk too much about the plot is to ruin much of the fun with this particular film. Suffice to say, other films have attempted to pull similar narrative tricks. NONE within the subgenre of horror have ever attempted it with such complexity, subtlety, and grace. That alone is more than enough to give Triangle a leg-up within its own genre.
Visual Grades
Visual Effects: 5
Special Effects: 6
The seams shine bright in this low-budget endeavor, which is a shame because sometimes they glaringly distract from the parts where the film really stands out. There's some terrible digital compositing, obvious character stand-ins and unconvincing gore effects that can simply be chalked up to a low budget.
Cinematography: 6
The camerawork is pretty par for the course with a few notable exceptions. The majority of the film has pretty standard framing, only occasionally does the overall image look like capital 'A' Art.
Sound Score
Music: 6
General Sound: 6
Complete honesty time.
I didn't even notice the score or anything about the sound. This could mean one of two things, that they were both so complementary and perfect that they disappeared completely into the narrative, or that they were so mediocre that absolutely nothing stood out.
Performance and Flow
Acting: 7.5
The cast is small, very small. This can often spell the doom of immersion if any one actor stands out as being particularly terrible. Fortunately for Triangle, the secondary cast only stands out as being mediocre and, usually, only borderline convincing. This would result in a much, much lower score than 7.5, but Melissa George's performance elevates the entire film. She is entirely believable and relatable as a character and sells the heck out of her character's dramatic arc.
Pacing/Editing: 8
A slow burn occasionally broken up by flash cuts that, subtly, take over the entire editing style as all hell breaks loose. The narrative pace is both methodical and frantic; the edit works to fully support and complement this progression.
Subjective Modifiers
Passes Bechdel Test: + 0.5
Intelligent Mind-Bender: +0.5
Moderate Gore: +/- 0.5
Decent Scares/Tension: +/- 0.5
Minor Exploitation: - 0.5
Final Grade: 6.6 out of 10
Take all the scores except the Subjective Modifiers and average them, we have our final score.
The result is a slightly above average movie that might be memorable but won't change your world.
Subjective Grade: 8.1 out of 10
This is where the Subjective Modifiers factor into it. Take the average score before modifiers and then add or subtract them exactly as they are, anything that is +/- is a positive as I am personally a fan of horror and a feminist.
The result is a movie that challenges the tropes of its genre and offers a new perceptive on tired themes. For fans of psychological head-trips and horror fans alike, Triangle is a must see!
Squeamish Grade: 5.6 out of 10
Same process as the Subjective Grade but only factors in the +/- modifiers and counts them as negatives. This score is aimed at those who are turned off by violence and high tension situations.
For the squeamish, this film won't be entirely enjoyable. While they may appreciate the central plot and overarching narrative, the high tension and violence will take a lot away from the overall experience.
IMDB: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Metacritic: N/A
Hope this helps you decide whether you want to give Triangle a viewing!
Thanks for reading,
Josh Evans
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