Event Horizon (1997) ***1/2

Event Horizon (1997), Paul W.S. Anderson and Philip Eisner’s Lovecraftian Hellraiser/Alien/The Shining/Solaris hybrid (my reviews for the first three of those films here, here, and here), was a box office flop that has gone on to become a cult favorite. EH wears its influences on its sleeve and some would accuse it of being too derivative but there is too much goodness here to dismiss it outright.

It’s uneven, there’s a good deal of silliness and tropes galore in the final third, and some of the visual fx are a bit dated but there’s also some undeniably arresting images, wonderful makeup, impeccable production design, and ideas that, if they had been explored with more finesse, could have resulted in something truly special. As it is, EH is a flawed but fun sci-fi/horror/actioner with a great cast that, despite its shortcomings, has immense rewatchability.