Solstice (2008) (V)

Director:

Daniel Myrick

Writers:

Daniel Myrick (written by) &
Martin Musatov (written by) ...

Release Date:

1 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A young girl uncovers a disturbing secret about her twin sister, who committed suicide just a few months before.

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Twin Sister | Solstice | Friend | Lake

Cast

Elisabeth Harnois	...	Megan / Sophie
Shawn Ashmore	...	Christian
Hilarie Burton	...	Alicia
Amanda Seyfried	...	Zoe
Tyler Hoechlin	...	Nick
Matt O'Leary	...	Mark
R. Lee Ermey	...	Leonard
Lisa Arnold	...	Mrs. Thomas
Lyle Brocato	...	Partier
David Dahlgren	...	Mr. Thomas
Jenna Hildebrand	...	Malin (as Jenna Lynn Hildebrand)
Mark Krasnoff	...	Cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Sabulsky	...	Evil Brother

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent content, disturbing images, language, teen drinking and some thematic material.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:18 | South Korea:15 | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Husser, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Endgame Entertainment

Trivia:

Danielle Panabaker was originally cast, but forced to drop out due to other commitments; 'Elisabeth Harnois' then stepped in to replace her.

Movie Connections:

References "I Love the '80s" (2002)

Soundtrack:

A Lot Like You

Out in the marshlands, where the ghosts are restless

In these recent years we've seen so many horror films with one crazy plot twist after another and presenting us convoluted story lines and deranged denouements. So how surprised I was to discover that SOLSTICE manages to tell a ghostly mystery plot that is so basic and simple, it actually turned into a solid and engaging film. The mystery develops slow but steady. There's practically no shocks or gore, but the film didn't need all that. And there's only one twist featured within the film, but it's a good one. The mood and atmosphere are tense. The cinematography looks great. The swamp and woods settings are wonderful and creepy at the same time.

Veteran actor R. Lee Ermey has a small role, but his character actually has weight. Young actress Elisabeth Harnois plays a double role (Megan has a twin sister Sophie who's suicide becomes the core of the mystery) and I'd really love to see more of her. Aside from being beautiful, she's also perfectly capable of carrying this film with her lead performance.

I thoroughly enjoyed SOLSTICE because it's very effective without over-doing things. I even liked the ending, which for once does not include the whole cast being slaughtered at the end of the film or a crazy twist still killing off the protagonist unexpectedly. That would have been too easy and predictable. The way things come to a conclusion now, makes it a better film, separating itself from the obvious ones. To give you an idea, I thought SOLSTICE was better than recent films like THE MARSH (2006) and BENEATH (2007).