Deathwatch: The Strangest War Horror Movie You've Never Seen

This is totally just another run-of-the-mill war movie.

Soldiers, guns, and a sentient evil trench that slowly and methodically drives our main cast of characters mad, leading to a final twist so insane that it had me contemplating it for days afterwards.

You know.

Same old, same old.

Written and directed by MJ Basset, Deathwatch is a WWI horror/war film. On its face, that may not mean much, but think of it this way: how many WWI horror movies can you think of? Let’s narrow it down even further. How many WW2 horror movies can you think of offhand?

Probably not many.

Typically, the horror of war is chosen to be depicted through the sheer brutality and cruelty of man. In many of these films, the acts depicted are scary enough on their own. The film Come and See from 1985 is shot like a horror film. From the music, the facial expressions, and the actual content of what’s happening. Villainy is a word that sparsely describes the events taking place on screen. If you ever feel like getting depressed one day, I’d suggest you go watch that movie. Another harrowing film, from 1984, Threads, depicts a nuclear war. It uses paranoia, body horror, and general violence throughout to make it's point.

Those movies don’t need a supernatural element to be present in order to convey the message that war is bad to their audiences. In my opinion, the fact that Deathwatch actively chooses to have that element adds a new flavor to an already good taste in genre. And even though it doesn’t hold a candle to those films in terms of quality or storytelling, I appreciate the ambition and creativity put into this project.

It truly is something special.

The plot of this film begins as the first sentence of this review suggests.

A terrified soldier, who is referred to as Shakespere, does not want to follow orders and make the charge on a German trench. Bullets are flying everywhere, people are getting blown up, and Shakespere doesn’t want any part of it. Unfortunately for him, his sergeant presses him forward anyway. Somewhere along the way, the unit Shakespere is a part of gets lost in the fog and is unable to ascertain where they are. But, after walking for a few hours, the unit stumbles upon what appears to be a German trench. Inside, three German soldiers appear to be pointing their rifles at something, but we mysteriously don’t get to see what it is because they’re immediately captured by Shakespeare's unit.

Definitely not important.

Having apparently broken past the enemy lines, Captain Jennings makes the decision to capture and hold the enemy trench until they can get ahold of reinforcements. This process proves to be both difficult and dangerous, as they find out that the German soldiers they encountered earlier may not be the only thing in there with them. From this point on, the movie begins to take on a very different tone. Without spoiling the big twist at the end or some of the major plot details throughout, let me just give you a few reasons you should watch this movie.

Premise.

In a sentence, a group of soldiers try to not lose their minds as they get slowly picked off by a seemingly sentient trench that hates them.

Atmosphere.

In my notes for this movie, I wrote down how muddy and wet everything looked at least twice. Truly, this movie encapsulates how awful the trenches were at that time. It seemed to either be constantly raining or water was running down from somewhere. Did I also mention that rats can be seen running around and eating the numerous dead bodies scattered everywhere? Yeah. That’s a thing.

It’s a cold, dirty, nasty mess.

The Vibe.

The moment they enter the trench, distrust and paranoia run amok.

The men are just as confused about what's going on as we are. Why is this trench abandoned? Why does it appear that some of the Germans seemed to kill each other? Why has no one come for the bodies? What is the operational purpose of this trench? Why are the captured Germans more afraid of the trench than them? There are so many questions that you can’t help but wonder as the story proceeds.

Not only is it paranoid, but the trench itself is a creepy place. The dark, wet, and claustrophobic passageways led to some not-so-fun moments for multiple men within the unit. The trench never once feels like the type of place you’d want to spend any amount of time in for any reason at all.

Themes.

God, evil, and the nature of war are themes that are prevalent throughout this film.

As you watch it, these themes clash and intentionally seem to intermingle in a way that seems less than straightforward.

The cruelty and brutality of man are ironically used as punishment for all the death, destruction, and disease inflicted on the world by the war man started. There are no heroes in this story. There are those who are cruel and abide by cruelty, and there are those who do not.

All in all..

This film is both a war story and a story about war.

We get to see this director's take on what happens when different types of men are pitted against the corruption that constant killing and death brings. Evil men, good men, and cowardly men. All kinds of men. Personally, I found it to be worth the exploration and a very entertaining time that left me thinking.

Even now, I still think about the ramifications of that ending.

It really is that good.

At least, I thought it was.

But that’s just me.

Shoot me a comment below and let me know what you think.