The Pyramid (2014)
Certified: 15
Duration: 89 minutes
Directed by: Gregory Levasseur
Starring: Ashley Hinshaw, Denis O’Hare, James Buckley, Daniel Amerman, Amir K, Joseph Beddelem, Garsha Arristos, Christa Nicola, Omar Benbrahim
KRS Releasing Ltd
French scribe Gregory Levasseur, known mostly for his various outings in the B-movie horror genre and his collaborations with Alexandre Aja, here takes on directorial duties for another similar outing.
The Pyramid is in fact an exercise in the B-movie horror film genre and is presented almost like a fairground attraction while using the found-footage theme. However, the film’s structure adopts a variety of viewpoints and styles.
It focuses on father and daughter archaeologists Miles (Denis O’Hare) and Nora Holden (Ashley Hinshaw), who have just made a breakthrough: the discovery of a very unique pyramid hidden for over 5,000 years under the desert’s scorching sun. Soon involved in all this is news presenter Sunni (Christa Nicola), her cameraman Fitzie (James Buckley) and a technician, Michael (Amir K).
The group enters the pyramid and soon all hell breaks loose. Structures collapse, hidden passages are revealed, zombie cat-like creatures appear and evil is released from the tombs. The possibility of the characters not leaving the pyramid seems all too real. All this is set against the background of social unrest in Egypt which is not explored as much as it should be.
Levasseur directs the film with a deft and detached hand. He does not try to make us care about what happens to the characters. He seems to be taking pleasure in devising ways and means on how to knock them off one by one and paying homage to (or pillaging from) other horror films in the process.
Overall, The Pyramid benefits much from the atmosphere and setting – it has the feel of the old mummy movies. The film also pays homage to the classic Ray Harryhausen stop-motion animation, with the creatures looking seasoned and, at times, over-the-top grotesque.
The film’s production is happy playing this by the numbers, using music to build up atmosphere. And while at times making use of the found footage genre, there is little of the camera shakiness usually associated with the genre.
It’s interesting to note that, as always, Hollywood seems to have a habit of striking in twos as this film follows on the trail of the recent As Above, So Below, yet this one adopts a different approach. It’s a picture for those horror fans who want to venture below ground once more.