Deathwatch (2002)

29% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
44% of users liked it
(6,985 ratings)

Lost deep in the enemy territory of the western front during World War I, allied soldier Private Charles Shakespeare (Jamie Bell) and eight other British soldiers from the Y Company seek refuge in maze of an abadoned German trench. Winding through the twisting tunnels through piles of corpses and… More Lost deep in the enemy territory of the western front during World War I, allied soldier Private Charles Shakespeare (Jamie Bell) and eight other British soldiers from the Y Company seek refuge in maze of an abadoned German trench. Winding through the twisting tunnels through piles of corpses and hungry rats, the exhausted soldiers decide to hold thier position and await a rescue team. As the soldiers begin to fall prey to an unseen force, one by one thier numbers dwindle and thier suspicions of one another grow. A young soldier who illegally entered the armed forces at the tender age of sixteen, Private Shakespeare must now summon the courage to face an evil greater than he could ever imagine. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Michael J. Bassett
Written By: Michael J. Bassett
Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Nov 7, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Jun 22, 2004
Studio: LionsGate Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
A ambientação chuvosa e lamacenta cria uma atmosfera claustrofóbica, mas o roteiro e os personagens estereotipados não conseguem utilizá-la de forma inteligente.
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
Acting, directing, and production values - all very solid. But there are a couple of major problems that keep Deathwatch from reaching it's full potential
Ian Waldron-Mantgani, UK Critic
It's horror crossed with a war movie, and if you suspect this might mean it consists of men running around in mud while eerie music plays on the soundtrack, you would be correct.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

"What is war if not mud, pestilence and horror?"
Summer W

We went in not knowing what the heck to expect, and ended up being impressed. The movie could have seriously kicked ass if they had done things a little differently, but it had a good cast with solid performances, (including Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, and "Colin-God-of-Sex"… More
We went in not knowing what the heck to expect, and ended up being impressed. The movie could have seriously kicked ass if they had done things a little differently, but it had a good cast with solid performances, (including Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, and "Colin-God-of-Sex" from Love, Actually) and Chris was particularly impressed with the attention to WWI detail. The story was decent, but should have been hyped as a psychological thriller a la Jacob's Ladder, rather than straight up horror.
Cynthia S

Not sure why this has such a low rating here. This movie was really well done. Great actors. Very eerie setting. Very "Twilight Zone-ish". Apparently, these men were stuck in limbo between heaven, and hell. Wasn't too hard to figure out, in my opinion. Hell won out with… More
Not sure why this has such a low rating here. This movie was really well done. Great actors. Very eerie setting. Very "Twilight Zone-ish". Apparently, these men were stuck in limbo between heaven, and hell. Wasn't too hard to figure out, in my opinion. Hell won out with most of them...
Luke B

If war wasn't horrific enough already then just imagine a haunted trench. It's a nice idea but poorly executed for the most part. For starters it draws no parallel with the actual war itself. It could be any place, any time The Haunting, Alien etc. Unlike Devil's… More
If war wasn't horrific enough already then just imagine a haunted trench. It's a nice idea but poorly executed for the most part. For starters it draws no parallel with the actual war itself. It could be any place, any time The Haunting, Alien etc. Unlike Devil's Backbone or Pan's Labyrinth where war is used as a background for the more specific genre here the soldiers are completely removed from the actual events. We're also given a piss poor character in Jamie Bell. He sound as though he is trying to convince the others of the existence of Christmas elves as opposed to insurmountable evil. He has no urgency in his voice and it's no wonder nobody else listens to him. Add to that he is one of those annoying do-gooders who doesn't do the right thing until his mates are being shot in the head. Had he made the right decision earlier he could have saved us a lot of hassle. Serkis is unfortunately laughable with his "cor blimey, bollocks, come and 'ave a go if yer think yer 'ard enough" attitude. There's still some stuff to enjoy, such as the brilliantly constructed trench which is the most terrifying aspect of all. The costumes and props also lend to the authenticity. When the horror comes it is hit and miss but there are truly some great moments such as the barbwire. I'd suggest the Korean film R-Point over this.
Stephen M

Bloody awful hybrid of war and horror movie, singularly lacking in suspense, potent atmosphere and period feel. It's often too dark to see what's going on but never interesting enough to care. Only likely to appeal to those whose idea of cinematic bliss would be watching… More
Bloody awful hybrid of war and horror movie, singularly lacking in suspense, potent atmosphere and period feel. It's often too dark to see what's going on but never interesting enough to care. Only likely to appeal to those whose idea of cinematic bliss would be watching Gollum, Billy Elliot and that-twat-from-"My Family" mud-wrestling.
Kylie B

I was expecting a lot worse, but it wasn't bad. It dragged a little in places, but the claustrophobic nature of the film seems to make it necessary to show how slowly they turn against each other (though personally I was all for shooting the guy with the knife long before they… More
I was expecting a lot worse, but it wasn't bad. It dragged a little in places, but the claustrophobic nature of the film seems to make it necessary to show how slowly they turn against each other (though personally I was all for shooting the guy with the knife long before they started going mental on each other). The ending is very good, though I must admit I'm not sure if I grasped all it meant.
xGary X

An interesting oddity set in a trench in WWI. Nicely shot and atmospheric, this is a horror that refreshingly relies on suggestion rather than the usual bog-standard CG monsters
Barry L

This was a little odd but a good film