Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Triangle Blu-ray Movie Review

Like a nightmare with no end in sight, Triangle is a relentless exercise in cerebral entertainment.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner February 6, 2010

One of the difficult aspects of writing a review is listening to that little voice in the back of your head that constantly whispers “don’t spoil this for the readers”. We always do our best to heed the warning and provide as little detail as possible (when warranted), but sometimes we stumble across a film that almost can’t be discussed without revealing too much. Such is the case with Triangle, the latest film by 40-year-old writer/director Christopher Smith (his prior directorial effort was the deliciously wicked Severence). Combining elements of Memento, Ghost Ship, and every film in the last year starring a villain wearing a burlap sack, the production takes a mind-bending trip down nightmare alley, while revealing one clever twist after another. It certainly isn’t the best thing since sliced bread, but once you dig into the heart of the story and begin the twisted journey through a mysterious ocean liner, you’ll find it easier to shrug off potential plot-holes as mere casualties of creativity and simply appreciate the experience for what it is.

Salvation or doom? Only time will tell...

Jess (Melissa George) is the single mother of an autistic son, who struggles to get by as a waitress at a local diner. After several visits by a local playboy named Greg (Michael Dorman), Jess agrees to accompany him and his friends on a sailing adventure aboard his yacht. Along for the ride are Greg’s deck hand Victor (Liam Hemsworth), his brother (Henry Nixon), snooty sister-in law Sally (Rachael Carpani), as well as Sally’s friend Heather (Emma Lung). With champagne in hand, the unlikely crew of six hit the high seas for some rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, the trip is soon cut short with the arrival of sudden storm that leaves Heather lost at sea, and the remaining vacationers standing atop a capsized boat. Turning around, they discover a massive ocean liner bearing down on them, with a mysterious figure peering over the edge of the top railing. Assuming the ancient vessel is their ticket back to civilization the five remaining survivors board the luxury boat and begin an exhaustive search for the mysterious figure they saw earlier. Jess is the first to suspect something is wrong, as she develops a sinking suspicion she’s been on the boat before. Can Jess solve the puzzle before it’s too late, or will time defy her every move and rob her of the life she once knew?

Before I go any further, you should know the provided synopsis doesn’t even scratch the surface of the true story behind Triangle. Giving away anything more would be a huge disservice to those interested in the film, and effectively ruin the first half of a highly effective plot structure, so I’ve merely provided the set-up for the meaty section of the film. Unlike your typical suspense/horror offering, Triangle weaves a simplistic plot with a cerebral structure that demands your utmost attention. Within the first half hour I expected the same shallow drivel that’s continually spoon-fed to the masses under the guise of entertainment, but by the time we enter the landscape of the ocean liner and experience the first “Ah ha” moment of the film, it becomes abundantly clear this is far greater than expected. Writer/director Christopher Smith reportedly spent two years working on the story, so we can rest assured this isn’t simply a cash-in project with little lasting value. Every twist of the plot and nuance in the character reactions required painstaking levels of planning to fit within the mold of the sequential events that follow. Before long, it becomes a voyeuristic study of intense human reaction, littered with visions you’ll find difficult to get out of your head. The shock value in the production never centers on gore, but gives us an unflinching front-row seat to a nightmare in progress.

With the realization of 3-D technology and prior “gimmicky” productions such as Return to House on Haunted Hill, the increasing goal in Hollywood is centered on ramping up audience participation. After all, the best films are capable of pulling a viewer in and remove any thought of the real world until the closing credits roll. Triangle accomplishes that goal without the use of non-traditional methods, and does it in a way that automatically requires a repeat viewing. It takes so long for the viewer to fully realize the extent of the journey down the rabbit hole, that by the time we understand the depth of the situation, it’s already too late. Bits and pieces will remain in your mind, nagging at you with questions of how they fit within the structure of the plot, but until you watch the film a second time, you’re not entirely sure you know how each element is playing off one another. This probably sounds like a huge paragraph of mumbo-jumbo to anyone who hasn’t seen the film, but if you decide to make the plunge, rest assured there will be plenty of reason to give it a mandatory second spin.

For the record, there are some events that don’t entirely make sense within the framework of the plot, but I’m sure a lengthy discussion with fellow fans of the film might shed some light on possible explanations. If I could offer one recommendation to anyone willing to ride the rollercoaster of Triangle, I’d suggest you watch it with someone else. It takes two brains working in tandem to effectively dissect the complete package, and I’d imagine most groups will spend the better part of an hour talking in circles as they attempt to decide whether the film makes sense or not.

Triangle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 25Mbps), Triangle sails onto Blu-ray with a strong visual presentation. Fine object detail remains consistently high throughout the majority of the feature despite the use of multiple camera angles across various environments. From the intricacies of the glistening water as the crew sets out across the open sea, to the dreary interior of the Aeolus ocean liner, every texture shines through with wonderful depth and clarity while still retaining the stylistic intentions of cinematographer Robert Humphreys. Colors aren't always vibrant or well-saturated, but they incorporate every element of the intended palette and never appear washed out or garish. For an example of the color spectrum at its finest, take a peek at the screenshot of the blue ocean against the bright horizon. In between shiny reflections on the ocean surface you'll discover how deep the blue shades manage to descend. Regarding black levels and contrast, I'm happy to report the same level of strength as other aspects of the transfer. Given the potential for ambiguous black levels within the interior shots of the ocean liner, I halfway expected contrast to suffer as soon as we left the comfort of the sun-drenched exterior. Thankfully, shadow detail never skipped a beat, and contrast rarely dipped below ideal levels. I wish I could tell you everything is peachy with the visual presentation, but there's one glaring flaw that held it back from reaching its full potential. I know it's become the norm to include CGI effects in low-budget productions, but sometimes I wish they'd sacrifice a shred of that "epic" feel and settle on effects that seem more realistic. In the case of Triangle, there are several scenes where the use of CGI is glaringly obvious, and detracts from the overall experience. This clearly isn't the fault of the transfer, but remains a factor in my assessment of the visual presentation. If you remove the shoddy CGI from the equation, I'd give this a solid 4.5/5.

Triangle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

It's a good thing I didn't use my entire packet of gold stars on the visual presentation, since the audio track raised the bar even higher. If there's one key element that sets marginal suspense films apart from exceptional ones, it's the clever use of sound design. Beginning with the title sequence, the film slowly builds a sense of dread through an ominous score that interplays with innocent dancing vocals of children. The effect is truly eerie, and serves as the main theme music at other key moments in the film. Moving along to use of surround separation, my jaw nearly dropped at the robust incorporation of the entire surround field, which places viewers directly in the middle of a mind-bending thrill ride. From the crushing waves capsizing the yacht, to the subtle creak of steam pipes in the bowels of the immense ocean liner, every effect is reproduced with amazing clarity and precision. I'm not typically creeped out by low-budget suspense films, but there was one scene toward the end of Triangle where Jess is being pursued through the corridors of the ship, and I caught myself glancing at the door toward the back of my theater when I thought I heard a loud sound come from that direction. It turned out to be one of many effects emanating from the rear sound stage of the audio track, but it's those moments when you know this is more than simply an average audio presentation.

Triangle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only supplement aside from a collection of standard definition trailers for other films in the First Look library is a six minute collection of standard definition interview clips with writer/director Christopher Smith, the main cast, and two producers. The discussions focus mainly on the story of Triangle, but also include several anecdotes regarding the on-set experience.

Triangle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Triangle is the type of film you can't get out of your head. The acting isn't the greatest, the plot delves into territory that requires a stretch of the imagination, and the special effects are occasionally weak, but once you find yourself thoroughly engrossed in the complex twists and turns, those minor quibbles seem unimportant. Do yourself a favor and get lost in Triangle.