SHADOWLAND (2021) Reviews of British action horror

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‘They sought sanctuary. They found him.’
Shadowland is a 2021 British action horror film about an ex-serviceman who seeks refuge for his team in rural Scotland. The consequences are devasting…

Written and directed by Simon David Kay, the Dark Brood Pictures-Valiant Son Motion Pictures production stars Amelia Eve, Ben Keenan, Jason Harvey, Colin MacDougall, Rebecca Finch, Vivien Taylor and Stuart Daly.

Our view:
Besides an already well-worn plot theme, there is confusing exposition aplenty and flashbacks galore, while we don’t get to see the creature until over an hour in – and then only fleetingly. The American ambassador and his offspring have the kind of faux yank accents that bedevil many Brit productions and add to the aura of unbelievability. Some decent editing and imagery towards the climax aren’t enough to save Shadowland from being a place we can’t recommend you visit.

Other reviews:
“A promising debut that excels in building a tense and suspenseful atmosphere, uses a talented cast well and takes full advantage of the unique setting. Much of the film is focused on the characters biding their time and growing progressively more frustrated with the situation as well as each other. This helps to heighten the tension greatly…” Kneel Before Blog

“The film is punctured with flashback scenes that attempt to shine light on the secrets of the military compound, but unfortunately, these moments are so stilted and unclear that they detract from the flow of the main narrative. And while the supernatural force itself makes for an interesting villain, the precise natures of what it is, what it wants and how it operates are so obfuscated that it fails to raise either fear or excitement.” London Horror Society

“Unfortunately, Shadowland is way too long on talk and short on action. A plot like this has to embrace its own implausibility and pile on the strangeness. Instead, we get a lot of arguing, creeping around in the dark and flashbacks. It feels like half of the film is set in the past, and despite that, I still wasn’t sure just what the creature was.” Voices from the Balcony

Release date:
Shadowland is released on Digital in the UK by Evolutionary Films on 1st March 2021.

Cast and characters:
Amelia Eve … Elaine
Ben Keenan … Cam
Jason Harvey … Mickey
Rebecca Finch … Dillon
Vivien Taylor … Jamie
Colin MacDougall … Gary
Susan Coyle … Mary
Lily Cooper … Sandy
Stuart Daly … Eli
Tony Greengrass … Kane
Nigel Miles-Thomas … Major Casey
Nathaniel Cowper … Soldier
Keith Porter … Victorian
Gordon Houston … Young Kane
Valerie Adler … Russian Hiker

Technical details:
74 minutes

Trailer:

MOVIES and MANIA rating:

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