Trench 11

Horror movies that takes place in war can be found in several film titles. It can be a tricky combination, not to make it into a completely ordinary war movie, but there are some titles that have proved that this could work. Let´s talk about 2 good examples that deserves to be mentioned in this category. I think we will start with a British horror film The Bunker released in 2001. This is a film that probably a lot of people have forgotten about, but this is actually a great film. The story takes place during 1944, when soldiers find their way to a bunker where they protect themselves against enemies. The positive thing about The Bunker, is that you don´t really get to see who the enemies are, so you ask yourself if the soldiers are delusional or is there something evil out there ? Director Rob Green clearly had a passion of telling a solid story about soldiers, trapped underground. The film is mos likely found on DVD online, if you are curious to check it out. The second film i would like to mention is actually also a British horror film known as Deathwatch, released in 2002. A very well made horror film, one of the best films i have seen actor Jamie Bell do in his career. The story takes place during World War I, where soldiers are attacked by something evil in German trenches, that is no ordinary soldier. I remember that back in 2002, this was one of my favourite horror films of that year. Since then, i have seen a lot of similar films, but Deathwatch is still a really solid horror film that managed to capture the right balance between a war movie and a horror movie combined. Director M.J. Bassett ( who directed Solomon Kane and Ash VS Evil Dead ) made a directorial debut film that was better than expected. I strongly suggest you pick up Deathwatch on DVD, this is a must see. As i was going through upcoming releases on VOD this autumn, i came across a couple of titles, including a film called Trench 11. Since i never have heard anything about this film, i started reading about it. A horror film that takes place during World War I, this does sound interesting. It almost felt like this was a different version of The Bunker, with a complete different story though. I finally got a chance to watch Trench 11 on VOD, is this one of the better horror releases this autumn, or is Trench 11 doomed to be forgotten, just as Stephen Baldwins Christian films are for each release ?

A group of soldiers led by Major Jennings ( Ted Atherton ) and Dr. Priest ( Charlie Carrick ), are set out to enter a secret  underground German facility. They find dead bodies, and they seem to be infected with something unknown. But what they don´t know, is what is causing this infection, and what happened down here ? They are about to find out, the real truth, but can they handle it ?

I was hoping that Trench 11 would deliver, since the trailer looked interesting. I am happy to say, this is a horror film that is worth your time. There are several details i enjoy about the film. First of all, i enjoy the setting of the film, taking place during World War I. The locations is correctly chosen, and the underground scenes makes the film more interesting. The soldier costumes feels nicely designed for the story. The characters of this film is one of the things that also makes this film work well. Knowing that this is supposed to be during World War I, i feel that the characters are portrayed in a way that fits with the time period. The acting is actually not bad either, so let´s talk about the actors, starting off with Charlie Carrick as Dr. Priest. His character gives the impression that he is willing to do what it takes, to complete the mission. Actor Ted Atherton ( remember him as Clifford Holland in TV series The Border ? ) plays Major Jennings, a character that makes a strong impact. Actor Rossif Sutherland ( son of Donald Sutherland ) plays alcoholic Lt. Berton, who clearly wants another drink, than being in war. There are other great characters here as well, but one of the things we have to mention is the infected soldiers. These creepy worm like things, crawl inside the bodies of infected soldiers, and this is one of those details that makes Trench 11 interesting, The design of the infected also works well, as the infected begin to attack. Is there anything bad to say about Trench 11 ? Not much, since i feel that this film manage to deliver a horror film that is well made for this genre. Director Leo Scherman have made a full feature directorial debut film that makes an impact. I know he have directed a lot of TV episodes for different TV shows, but Trench 11 is his first full feature film as a movie director. He have done a good job with the material, and he clearly have a passion for telling a horror story in an old school way. I wonder if he was inspired by the 2001 movie The Bunker ? Would be interesting to know. If you enjoyed movies like The Bunker or Deathwatch, i guarantee you will enjoy Trench 11. This is a throwback to classic horror ingredients, that still manage to tell a different story than previous war horror movies. If you have no idea what to watch today, i suggest you turn into Trench 11 on VOD and let these soldiers guide you into a horror treat. 

Rating: DDD