Based on the true story of The Dyatlov Incident, Devil’s Pass, directed by Renny Haarlin and shot in found footage style, has a very interesting thesis.
The Dyatlov Pass Incident, a genuine Russian mystery from 1959 is about nine hikers who were found dead in the Ural Mountains in curious and seemingly concealed ways. Many people believed and still do to this day that the episode had something to do with the Russian government.
Devil’s Pass is the fictional account of five Americans who get a grant to make a film about it and re-trace the steps of the original hikers on a trail through the east shoulder of the mountain Kholat Syakhl (which means, Dead Mountain) — also known as Dyatlov’s Pass.
Prior to the hike, the team meets and greets with a couple people who know about the incident, including a woman who was part of the ’59 Search Party. This woman, Ayla (Nelly Nielsen) recounts events around the discovery of eleven bodies. Eleven, not the nine that has always been reported, adding to the conspiracy that the Russian government might have been involved in sweeping facts under the accepted rug.
The acting was well done and believable by all. The American hikers are J. P. Hauser (Luke Albright- 12 Rounds) and Audy Thatcher (Ryan Hawley), hired as expert climbers for the journey. While, the student film crew consists of Holly King (Holly Goss), Denise Evers (Gemma Atkinson- Hollyoaks TV Series) and Jensen Day (Matt Stokoe- Misfits TV Series).
It is true that real people did in fact die on the hike of Dyatlovs pass and the original mystery is really quite interesting and certainly worth checking out, preferably after the film as so not to spoil it for you.
I think horror fans will enjoy Devil’s Pass but if you’re into conspiracy theories, you’ll also get a kick out of it.
WICKED RATING: 6/10
Title: Devils Pass
Director(s): Renny Harlin
Writer(s): Vikram Weet
Stars: Holly Goss, Matt Stokoe, Luke Albright, Ryan Hawley, Gemma Atkinson
Year: 2013
Studio/ Production Co: Aldamisa Entertainment, K. JAM Media, Future Films
Budget: (unknown)
Language: English, Russian
Length: 100mins
Sub-Genre: Mystery
