Trackman

Year:  2007

Director:  Igor Shavlak

Cast:  Dimitriy Orlov, Svetlana Metkina, Yuliya Mikhailova, Aleksey Dmitriev

A couple of criminals decide to rob a busy bank in the downtown Moscow area. After fatally shooting a security guard, the crooks take a few female hostages and escape into an abandoned tunnel that runs below the bustling city. However, it seems they chose the wrong hiding place, as a serial killer wearing a variation of a gas mask and armed with a pick axe (sound familiar?) patrols the tunnel, ready to kill and collect the eyes of anyone foolish enough to venture into to it.

The first thing that stands out about Trackman is that it is a great looking film. The production values are top notch and, stylistically, the film the film works better than most horror films that have made it into theaters lately. The tunnel setting is definitely creepy and claustrophobic, but the director doesn't take full advantage of this opportunity. The killer is also pretty creepy and intimidating, and his mask/costume works pretty well, even if it is tad familiar. He is certainly your 80's style slasher film killer.

However, as great as the film looks, there are a plethora of problems that really crush any chance it had a being an enjoyable 80's throwback slasher film.   For starters, the characters are all annoying as hell (even the two hostages), so it is really hard to sympathize or even care about any of them. Instead of going this route with the plot/characters, the film could have been more effective following the typical "teenagers in peril" formula. Instead of having robbers as the main characters, have a bunch of teenagers who venture into the tunnels for a little partying be the victims. In fact, when I was watching this film, I kept thinking of the film Catacombs and how, if we could take elements from each of these films to make one film, it could be pretty damn good. In addition to having uninteresting characters, the film itself gets pretty boring. There are long stretches of time where nothing happens except the group wandering around the tunnel, occasionally stopping to yell at each other or slap around the hostages. It doesn't keep the viewers attention at all, and when the slashing does begin, it's entirely too late and too tame to redeem the film. Again, we don't care at all about the characters, so it is hard to get too invested in what happens to them. When the end finally does come, it is such a head-scratcher that it makes you even more angry that you just bored yourself for an hour watching it

Overall, Trackman is a film that is pleasing to look at because of its high production values and stylish setting, but suffers because of a boring pace, extremely clichéd and predictable plot, and unlikeable characters.  I'd strongly suggest skipping this one and popping in My Bloody Valentine (either the remake OR original!), as no matter how many times you have seen it, it will still be more exciting and entertaining than Trackman. 

FrightMeter Grade: