"Deathwatch" review

Deathwatch (2002)

Directed by Michael J. Bassett
Writing credits Michael J. Bassett

Jamie Bell.... Pfc. Charlie Shakespeare
Rúaidhrí Conroy.... Pvt. Colin Chevasse
Mike Downey.... Martin Plummer

Rain and mud. These are the two things "Deathwatch" does well. Boy, did it rain a lot. Man, was that trench muddy. I recently watched "The Bunker" which was very similar to "Deathwatch" with the exception of two things. Can you guess what those two things are?

"Deathwatch" has a bunch of British soldiers hanging out in a very wet and muddy trench. World War I is raging all around them and a mud filled trench is better than the battlefield. Soon the soldiers will realize that there is an unknown enemy in their midst. Or maybe it's all in their minds. Maybe the never-ending rain has clogged their brains. Only the bravest and driest soldiers will make it out of the mud.

War/horror movies don't work. There is more than enough horror in war. You don't need to throw in any supernatural elements. I was more scared of the soldier with the spiked club than I was of anything the evil muddy trench had to spit out at them. While "Deathwatch" is a better "Stranded soldiers going insane" flick than "The Bunker", I would still pass on both of them. There's not much here for either a war or a horror movie fan. However, if you like seeing soldiers scream and yell in a muddy trench, rent "Deathwatch" immediately.

SCORE: 1.5 out of 4 very muddy trenches