The Passage

Introduction

Adam and Luke are on holiday in Morocco but with different ideas about what constitutes a good time - Adam likes to party whilst Luke is there to see the sights. Luke meets the attractive Zahra who tells him about a beautiful place in the mountains and they travel there together.

Unable to stay at the hotel because they are not married, a local lends them his mountain hut. Luke discovers a secret passage hidden behind a curtain and, armed only with some candles and his camera, sets off to explore.

As he explores the labyrinthine tunnel system, tension and horror mount until the horrible truth is revealed.

Video

Filmed entirely in Morocco, The Passage looks terrific, with the location shooting paying dividends and giving the film a sense of authenticity.

Audio

As much of the tension is garnered by atmosphere, it's a pity that the only sound option is a Dolby Digital Stereo mix, as the film would have benefitted so much from a 5.1 surround soundtrack. The sound is clear and well defined, which is just as well because there are no subtitles.

Extra Features

It's a real shame that this is such a bare-bones disc, containing only a trailer, as I would have liked to hear from director Mark Heller and/or Stephen Dorff.

Conclusion

The Passage is a real slow-burner - they don't discover the passage until the half-way point - the pace allowing for character development and an exploration of the relationship between Luke and Zahra. I can't really say too much without spoiling the film, except that the sequence in the tunnels, where the only light comes from candles and the flash from Luke's camera, rivals The Descent for suspense.

This is a really well made film, belying the director's inexperience, with excellent performances from Stephen Dorff and newcomer Sarai Givaty, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

It's worth a rental until (and I hope this is the case) a better release comes along with some extras and a 5.1 soundtrack.