The Labyrinth is a 2022 science fiction monster movie about subway passengers facing off against a giant centipede.
Directed by Wang Zi from a screenplay co-written by Jin Xiao, Wang Kuangmi, Zhang Junshi and Hanzhiliao, adapted from the novel of the same name by Han Zhiliao.
The Chinese production stars Chen Xiaochun, Peng Jingci, Guo Jun, Cui Ke and Ji Haixing.
Review:
The Labyrinth begins with a wrecked subway train as a voiceover informs us the tunnel collapsed. The survivors are soon attacked by a masses of centipedes. This all occurs a couple of minutes into the film. Then we get a flashback to an hour before and are introduced to the characters as their train speeds towards their mostly doomed destiny (curiously, some of the carriage signage is in English as is the ‘Urban Subway’ sign on the front of the train which suggests that the producers intended this creature feature for a truly international market).
After running from the centipede horde, which also includes one giant leader centipede, the survivors end up in an old bunker. Cue some of the usual kind of bickering, bonding and flirting that occurs in most disaster movies. The characters may be cliched and the dialogue trite but it’s not long before several large centipedes attack, culminating in an even bigger centipede that has two heads!
And considering how many legs centipedes these critters have, the CGI is pretty effective (if less so at the climax). That said, the centipedes also inexplicably emit roar just like some sharks and giant spiders in other daft monster movies. Occasionally, the film adopts the trope of red-tinged giant centipede vision to show the viewpoint of one of the insects. There is also a body horror factor with the small ones burrowing under their victims’ skin (although the CGI used to render this is less effective). Meanwhile, the reveal of the mutant centipedes’ origin is best left as a spoiler – aside to say it hinges on a centuries-old, and perhaps understandable, Chinese grudge.
The deaths of certain characters are predictable and the score doesn’t always match the action onscreen – there’s even a horrendous albeit brief rap number (repeated over the end credits so best to jump to the coda) – but The Labyrinth is generally fast-paced silly fun; it’s trash cinema at it’s trashiest but never bores unlike many of the B-movies that cinemasochists must endure. Adrian J Smith, MOVIES and MANIA
Technical details:
1 hour 9 minutes
Original title:
环线 aka Huánxiàn “Loop”
Related:
More Asian movies
More Chinese movies
More insect movies
Notes:
Not to be confused with the 2021 Korean horror film of the same name directed by Song Woon. Or the 2022 Greek horror film of the same name directed by Anna Iris.
Trailer:
For a clip and the full film free to watch online visit page 2
