A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

77% of critics liked it
(30 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(1,598 ratings)

A group of five mountaineers are hiking and climbing in the Scottish Highlands when they discover a young Serbian girl buried in a small chamber in the wilderness. They become caught up in a terrifying game of cat and mouse with the kidnappers as they try to get the girl to safety.

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Julian Gilbey
Written By: Julian Gilbey, Will Gilbey
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

On DVD: Mar 20, 2012
Studio: Kaleidoscope Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
Part high-altitude adventure movie, part kidnapping caper film, "A Lonely Place to Die" is more exciting than smart, though that's not the worst thing you can say about a movie.
Paul Chambers, CNNRadio
Despite the many faults with the story (particularly the logic), there's good action and the film moves well once it gets started. Lots of running, climbing and dodging bullets. You could do worse.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
I never expect much from a small-studio or low-budget thriller because they're usually disappointing. But "A Lonely Place to Die" is a cut above them, with only minor logic plot points getting in the way.
John Gholson, Movies.com
It's simply too good to label it a misfire, but the film starts from the gate with such a confident, breathless level of suspense that it's a shame that it can't be maintained.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
It's a deeply satisfying entertainment filled with energy and made with savvy and cinematic wit. And it marks Gilbey as a director to keep an eye on.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Probably one of the most engrossing films in a truly lackluster year...
Glenn Lovell, CinemaDope
... a small find ... Plucking ideas from 'Deliverance,' 'The Most Dangerous Game' and half a dozen North Face adventures -- the Gilbeys have fashioned one of the year's more unnerving thrillers
Charlie Lyne, Ultra Culture
Five c**ts go up a mountain. Far too many come down.
Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
This is high-end cinema, let down only by the lack of any obvious subtext to earth all its on-the-edge thrills.
, Film4
A solid effort that should entertain viewers, In A Lonely Place To Die owes more to the character-driven suspense of The River Wild than the overblown action of Cliffhanger, and it's great to see a British attempt at the genre.
Alistair Harkness, Scotsman
Amped-up camera work - including vertigo inducing POV shots - are thrown in to create the illusion of a film that is much more kinetic and fast-paced than it really is, but it counts for zip when the rest of the film is so inert.
Graham Young, Birmingham Mail
If you only see the first ten minutes of this film, you'll still get your money's worth.
Shaun Munro, What Culture
Melissa George's Scottish accent is absolutely dreadful, but the smart script and wince-inducing action make it hard to notice or care all that much.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
A violent, continually gripping thriller set in the Scottish Highlands.
Lisa Giles-Keddie, Real.com
An engaging and well-executed all-rounder in the crime horror stakes.
Caroline Jowett, Daily Express
This is a tough, no-nonsense tale made all the more effective by its brutal landscapes.
Charlotte O'Sullivan, This is London
I almost died laughing.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lewis C

"Where has your compassion gotten you today?" A Lonely Place to Die is a tense thriller from the UK that turned out to considerably exceed my expectations. A group of mountain climbers in the Scottish Highlands stumble upon a buried pipe from which they inexplicably can… More
"Where has your compassion gotten you today?" A Lonely Place to Die is a tense thriller from the UK that turned out to considerably exceed my expectations. A group of mountain climbers in the Scottish Highlands stumble upon a buried pipe from which they inexplicably can hear the voice of a young girl. After digging, they find her buried in a box, terrified out of her mind and speaking a language that none of them knows. As they try to get her to safety, they're stalked by a pair of implacable, utterly ruthless men who are responsible for burying the child in the first place. The villains are the glue that holds A Lonely Place to Die together, as they really are a terrifying duo. The word relentless comes to mind, as they casually kill anyone that stands between them and recapturing the girl. Other than Melissa George, the rest of the cast is likely to be vaguely familiar at best, but they do a pretty excellent job of portraying their characters. There's not a lot of time devoted to character development (the movie moves at a brisk pace), but you get a sense of who each main character is. A Lonely Place to Die is easily one of the better thrillers I've seen lately. It's excellently paced, violent, and most important of all, actually thrilling. Once the tension starts (the movie starts with a gripping rock-climbing scene), it doesn't let up until the end. It reminded me of The Descent in some ways, even though the movies are of two different genres. That's a considerable compliment in my book, but a deserved one.
Roy G

This is a pretty neat thriller, and it could well take the Gilbey brothers to Hollywood.
Stuart B

Excellent British thriller about a group of climbers who discover a kidnapped girl who they try to save whilst being hunted by the kidnappers.
Matheus C

A stylish (albeit sometimes amateurishly directed) mountain climbed thriller, which earns some marks for its stunning and creative cinematography and for managing to keep all its cast at bullet point and the audience on the edge of the seat. It does fall into common place, but it is… More
A stylish (albeit sometimes amateurishly directed) mountain climbed thriller, which earns some marks for its stunning and creative cinematography and for managing to keep all its cast at bullet point and the audience on the edge of the seat. It does fall into common place, but it is still a competent cat and mouse hunt movie with some beautiful Scotish scenery.
Daniel P

One of the highlights of the 2011 FilmFour FrightFest, this gripping thriller has some of the best mountain photography I've seen in a film (certainly it rivals the likes of Touching The Void), and has an ingenious - if somewhat far-fetched - story that holds… More
One of the highlights of the 2011 FilmFour FrightFest, this gripping thriller has some of the best mountain photography I've seen in a film (certainly it rivals the likes of Touching The Void), and has an ingenious - if somewhat far-fetched - story that holds many surprises and twists that I therefore wont reveal here. Following her superb work in 30 Days of Night and Triangle, Melissa George puts in a magnificent performance that really anchors the film and gives it much needed heart; I was willing her on every step of the way. Technically, the film is also a triumph with dizzying camera-work and superb editing - the shocks come from nowhere, making this a very immersive film. Some critics have complained that the sudden location change towards the end doesn't work and is "obviously aping The Wicker Man" which personally I don't agree with - I thought it was necessary to keep things moving and the final section is possibly the most difficult to sit through - in a good way. Very highly recommended, I can't wait to see it again.
John M

PR
Daisy M

A lonely place to die was a thriller that started out very intense and instead of starting slowly then build up to an incredible climax, this one faded away too soon which lead also to a disappointing ending. But that did not take away the potential the movie had in the first hour.… More
A lonely place to die was a thriller that started out very intense and instead of starting slowly then build up to an incredible climax, this one faded away too soon which lead also to a disappointing ending. But that did not take away the potential the movie had in the first hour. The story was simple, a group of friends went up to the mountains to do some climbing and stumble on something they weren't supposed to.The first hour led them down this dangerous road of bullets and blood that honestly had me gasping for air. From the start the suspense was building up as the characters were introduced and the mystery of just what was going on in these mountains.And course like similar movies with such a promising start, as we got more answers who these people were what their motivation was things became more insignificant which lead in the case to a predicable ending.The characters were okay as well, which was enough to make me care about them. The strength of the movie was its realism, which was necessary to make it an okay thriller.
ernest e

Left cinema after 55 min. I rather die lonely than ever see this again. Bad script/acting panicking panicking panicking when you need characters to be more with it. All characters except the little girl were undeveloped and only panick when something happened Beautifull scenery,… More
Left cinema after 55 min. I rather die lonely than ever see this again. Bad script/acting panicking panicking panicking when you need characters to be more with it. All characters except the little girl were undeveloped and only panick when something happened Beautifull scenery, location, background. Don't waste your money and time, scenery and first 20 minutes is only thing worth seeing.