The Ferryman (2007)

Review by Tim-O



Starring: Jon Rhys-Davies, Kerry Fox
Directed by Chris Graham
Coming to us from New Zealand, "The Ferryman" is about three couples who come face to face with evil when the yacht they rented for a vacation cruise stops to rescue the sole survivor on a badly damaged ship caught in thick supernatural fog. Bringing the frail old man (John Rhys-Davies) aboard, they soon make the chilling discovery that he's a deadly force in need of a fresh body and soul. It seems he’s possessed by a murderous demonic spirit that can leap from body to body and is being stalked by the legendary Ferryman from Greek mythology. Apparently, the demonic force owes a debt to the Ferryman and is not willing to pay up. As the spirit leaps from body to body and begins murdering the passengers, all hell breaks loose and no one knows who to trust or how to stop the evil that has invaded their lives.

“The Ferryman” is a well produced low budget film. It has decent effects, some gore, and a potentially interesting and fresh idea for a horror film. Unfortunately, the acting and directing are really uneven and annoyingly over the top at times. It starts kind of slow too, with way too much time being spent getting to know the characters. However, it does pick up the pace about half way through. The movie really frustrated me by not really exploring who the demonic force is and doesn’t explore the actual Ferryman hardly at all. Instead, the story centers itself on the peril of the characters and the mistrust the body jumping causes between them.

Oddly enough, I was actually put off by the mean spirited brutality in the film. The violence is so over emphasized in parts it was hard to watch. Especially sadistic was the gratuitous use of violence toward a dog that goes on for quite a while. Maybe I’m getting old and soft, but I never felt that uncomfortable watching any torture porn, including the “Hostel” films. It just felt unsavory and I would have enjoyed it more had the time been spent exploring the actual Ferryman instead of learning how to beak a dog’s back and still keep it alive to whimper and attempt to move around for 20 minutes.

“The Ferryman” could have been more interesting and fun to watch if the mythology of The Ferryman was explored more instead of trying to make the audience uncomfortable. I’ve seen a lot worse but this movie could have been so much better with more back-story and less annoying acting and needless drawn out scenes of cruelty. If you think I’m being a ninny…maybe I am, but I prefer to feel entertained by movies, not uncomfortable and annoyed. 4/10.