In their search for Treasure, amateur treasure hunters Gus (Robert Curtis) and Sally (Abbie Salt) invite their friend Jake (Danny Shayler) to document the illegal dig on MOD land; but the treasure they find is less the Saxon they were expecting and more…extra-terrestrial.
Filmed in the verite style of Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project, Rendlesham is an entertaining and exciting low budget horror that whilst unlikely to entertain the critics, at a short and sweet 83 minutes it will keep on the average viewer on edge of their seat (that includes me). With some pretty amazing ‘what the hell is going to happen’ moments its exciting and interesting and a great example of why British cinematography is growing.
New on the scene, Danny Simpson, has shown he has a skill for short films with The Uninvited and his newest venture Rendlesham truly shows of his skill. The three stars shine, with Danny Shayler shining the brightest, showing real passion but also an evolution in character that the others cannot. This is likely in part to the script and his characters altering motivations, but nonetheless is is bolstered by a great personal performance. I commend Danny Simpson for keeping this film under 90 minutes which helped to maintain the suspense with few location changes, effects or characters. Way too often you see fright fests ruined by repetition or by simply showing too much of their hand at once. Rendlesham builds to its conclusion and uses its few large effects wisely. Simpson really adds to this with the ending, leaving us with a cliffhanger worth having. You’re able to get really invested in the characters, to the point that when the film ends and it’s not explained how the incident was discovered or exactly what happened to each member of the team you’re left screaming for answers. If this is how a thriller ends, then you’ve hit on a winner.
The only disappointing aspect of this film is simply that it’s not very original. Like many good films it works from a formula and whilst it does this very well, it’s not going to bring a new audience to the verite style, except for many fans of UFO films and with the talent on show both in front of and behind the camera this is a little disappointing.There are definitely some futures being built here. I’ll be on the lookout for Shayler for a long time to come and I won’t be surprised to Director Simpson or writer Adam Preston either.
The Rendlesham UFO Incident is a good but not outstanding example of its genre. If you like horror and you love Blair Witch this is DEFINITELY for you. I’ll be passing the recommendation around my friends and I think that says is enough. Definitely one to watch in a dark room with some popcorn and a few good mates!
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