The Colony review: After a frosty reception elsewhere in the world and a name change for the UK, is this thriller really so bad?
The Colony review by Luke Ryan Baldock.
The Colony review
The Colony seems to come to our shores incognito after a frosty reception elsewhere under its original title of Colonia. Searching for any information on The Colony lands you with plenty of trailers, posters, and reviews for the 2013 film of the same name starring Laurence Fishburne. Such negative reception is a shame, as the film is a taut and unnerving horror, which may be too tense and entertaining for its own good considering its ‘Based on a true story’ origins.
Set in Chile during the military coup of 1973, photographer Daniel (Daniel Bruhl) and his flight attendant girlfriend Lena (Emma Watson), are caught in the middle of the violent protests. Daniel is soon taken by the secret police DINA and tortured for his involvement in anti-military propaganda. Believed to be brain damaged, Daniel is sent to Colonia Dignidad, a charitable mission run by Paul Schaefer (Michael Nyqvist). Lena meanwhile is left to search for Daniel and soon inserts herself into the colony with the hope of finding and freeing Daniel. Only Colonia Dignidad is a dangerous place of sadistic punishments and complete control.
The Colony review
The audience’s level of involvement and ‘enjoyment’ will come down to how they see the genre and structure of the film. Florian Gallenberger as director has put the majority of his focus on the romantic and thriller aspects of the story. Obviously, with this being a true story it adds perhaps too much entertainment and excitement to a horrific and much underreported event. However, it instead allows a more engaging entrance point to wider audiences. By drawing the emotional centre towards two characters the script is much tighter and the goals are much clearer. Other films may be able to deal with terrifying true stories with more scope, but The Colony’s gamble does pay off.
Bruhel is a phenomenal lead. We feel his fear throughout the film and feel all kinds of emotions for his plight. His journalistic investigation makes for nerve shredding intensity, but also unbearable frustration as he risks revealing he is not disabled at all. Nyqvist is a sinister villain and absolutely imposing and terrifying, His methods and personality are grotesque, but you get the sense he believes in what he is doing, making him all the more formidable. Watson, although fine in her role, still comes across as too drama school. Her lines seem so rehearsed and forced she rarely seems to be reacting with those she is in a scene with.
The Colony review
The Colony is shocking and uncomfortable, a disturbing political horror that reminds us – even if not accurately – of just how dangerous governments and those in power can become. It unearths even darker twists to stories we thought we already knew, while keeping us hopeful for the protagonists’ fates. Chilling, sinister, and enthralling, The Colony buries itself in your consciousness.
The Colony review by Luke Ryan Baldock, June 2016
The Colony is released in cinemas and on demand from 1st July
