‘Violence is contagious’
Trench 11 aka Death Trench is a 2017 Canadian horror film directed by Leo Scherman (Scare Tactics, TV series) from a screenplay co-written with Matt Booi (Destination Fear, TV series). The movie stars Karine Vanasse, Rossif Sutherland and Rob Archer.
Plot:
In the final days of WWI a shell-shocked tunneller must lead an Allied team into a hidden German base… a hundred feet below the trenches. The Germans have lost control of a highly contagious biological weapon that turns its victims into deranged killers.
The Allies find themselves trapped underground with hordes of the infected, a rapidly spreading disease and a team of German Stormtroopers dispatched to clean up the mess. The only thing more terrifying than the Western Front… is what lies beneath it.
Reviews:
“Trench 11 works in terms of atmosphere, but its attempts to build suspense and provide subtle scares never succeed, as it delivers nothing more than a few nasty scenes.” CineMarvellous!
“Trench 11 will surely give some people a satisfying and disturbing ride. Packed with gore and atmosphere, it suffers from pacing issues and an out-of-place score. If you stumble across it late one night, you could do far worse.” Dread Central
“Since most of the film takes place in a candle-lit subterranean bunker, lighting (simply for viewer watchability) is an issue throughout the film. However, the dark, shell-damaged location is undeniably creepy and claustrophobic. This is definitely one of the better weird war movies in a while.” J.B. Spins
“The Trent Reznor-esque score is a little jarring at times, and the digital cinematography does betray the setting. But it is also capable of being cold and effective, playing with barren snowscapes very well, as well as proving effective at letting claustrophobia set in once we enter the tunnels. A fun, if uneven, War horror flick that has some satisfyingly nasty tricks up its sleeve.” The Hollywood News
“With strong performances, claustrophobic tension, amazing practical effects, but some late-in-the-game pacing problems – Trench 11 is definitely worth your time.” Horrorfreak News
“Fans of practical effects will be amazed by some of the wizardry here. Still, the story lacks impact. And, secondary film elements, like sound design and music, are almost non-existent. Just like World War I, Trench 11 is a bit of slog, in a very quiet frontline.” 28 Days Later Analysis
Main cast:
- Karine Vanasse – The Forbidden Room
- Rossif Sutherland
- Rob Archer
- Charlie Carrick
- Shaun Benson
- Ted Atherton
- Robert Stadlober
- Aidan Ritchie
- Adam Hurtig
- Luke Humphrey
- John B. Lowe
- Kevin Dennis
Cast and characters:
- Rossif Sutherland … Lt. Berton
- Robert Stadlober … Reiner
- Charlie Carrick … Doctor Priest
- Shaun Benson … Kapitan Müller
- Ted Atherton … Major Jennings
- Luke Humphrey … Captain Cooper
- Jeff Strome … Sgt. Pronger
- Adam Hurtig … Pvt. Kelly
- Karine Vanasse … Veronique
- John B. Lowe … Col. Ashcroft
- Werner Artinger … General Ophuls
- Andrew Cecon … Pvt. Wilcox
- John Bluethner … Veronique’s Father
- Scott Johnson … Military Police Officer
- Johann Gietzel … Reiner’s Henchman
Filming locations:
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
