Cargo (2009) by Pazuzu

Cargo (2009)
Directed by: Ivan Engler, Ralph Etter
Written by: Arnold Bucher, Ivan Engler, Johnny Hartmann, Patrik Steinmann, Thilo Röscheisen
Starring: Anna Katharina Schwabroh, Martin Rapold, Regula Grauwiller

This German sci-fi which reminded me of Event Horizon, 2001 and Sunshine offered up so much promise to begin with. Earth is no longer habitual and many people are saving up to move to a new paradise planet. On board a cargo ship, Laura is employed as the doctor and is being paid well, hopefully enough so she can pay to go to this paradise planet called Rhea and live with her sister. The small crew are on a long journey to take, what they believe to be, metals and other things to help build house etc on Rhea. Some of the space stuff is brilliant, watching the crew lye in a bed of frozen gooey stuff in order to sleep for months while each member takes in turns going on watch for 3 months at a time is great. The visuals are incredibly well done and the sound effects and music really add an impressive sense of dread and unease. Laura is on watch duty when she believes she sees someone down in the cargo bay, a place they are forbidden to go.

From here on it gets more intense. The captain is woken up, and due to the threat of terrorists, each ship now has a security officer, and he too is woken up. Finally, after a devastating accident, all the crew are woken up and people start pointing fingers  and taking sides as we find out what the cargo really is. The first hour and twenty odd minutes is excellent, the story is built up nicely and the mystery is well delivered. The acting is highly impressive and the whole cast are extremely believable. The look of the film is superb, and really reminded me of Event Horizon, and the atmosphere, at times, was very much like the paranoia and claustrophobic 2001. To go any further into the plot now would spoil things, so i wont. However, the story does unfold and things almost slow to a halt. Sadly the end doesn’t come near expectations and the final twist you would have spotted a mile off.

Shame, as the first hour or so is up there with some of the best sci-fi horrors around, truly impressive. It just couldn’t quite deliver the goods it so promisingly offered. Well worth seeing tho

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