Now available on DVD, Blu-Ray
Cast:
Jessica Lowndes as Sara
Ryan Donowho as Cory
Landon Liboiron as Bruce
Jake Weary as Sal
Julianna Guill as Mel
Directed by Kaare Andrews
Review:
I’ll give Altitude director Kaare Andrews and writer Paul A. Birkett some props right from the start â this is a pretty unique horror film. Taking place exclusively inside a two-engine prop airplane doesn’t give you a lot of room to work with (literally) or to kill people (with the exception of the plane crashing into the ground).
Yet, surprisingly, Altitude is able to provide some decent frights and delves into the supernatural aspects of things without being too hokey about it.
The film begins with a group of friends renting out an airplane for some fun and because Sara (Jessica Lowndes) just got her pilot’s license. It was supposed to be just a few hours of fun in the air, but those damn faulty prop planes just have to break and suddenly the plane is gaining altitude without any chance of coming down.
At first, it looks as if we might get an airborne version of Adam Green’s Frozen, where a group of unlucky twenty-somethings just happen to stumble into a no-win situation without any type of monster or serial killer or whatever. Altitude, however, takes a turn for the supernatural (and judging from the cover of the title should be quite obvious). Yet, it isn’t exactly what you think.
In fact, Altitude goes more Twilight Zone than it does The Host and even throws in a number of not-so-subtle references to Golden Age comics such as Fantastic Fears or Haunted Thrills.
While the supernatural aspects to the film come out of nowhere and really there is no reason given as to why it is happening, it gives the film a reason for those involved to be killed â which in reality is the reason we came to the party.
It also gives wraps up the loose ends involving some of the main characters in a nice bow in terms of their pasts and potentially a new future.
While gorehounds and monster lovers won’t be too happy with what is in the film as there is little to no blood and the monster is more of a shadowy, ominous figure rather than something in your face â those that enjoy a tense no-win situation horror thriller will get a kick out of Altitude.
One other thing, you should really check out the film on Blu-ray as the cool special effects of the flying and environments really pop. While some of the CGI is cheesy, the shots of the plane and flying are gorgeous and the high-definition format really takes advantage of it.
