The Triangle is both horror and mystery, but mostly it’s a docu-style psychological thriller, which is exactly why you should watch this creepy little gem!
I had no idea what to expect from The Triangle. I just saw that it was getting really great – and really bad – ratings on Amazon. That kind of reaction always intrigues me, because a movie that is either hit or miss tends to be pretty powerful. It Follows is another example of this, though I would never compare the two otherwise.
The Triangle is made as a documentary, and parts of the beginning are actually just real. Later on, it’s more of an “equal parts documentary and fiction”-deal, but in a great way! This movie was shot back in 2012 in a relatively short amount of time, but the editing and finishing touches dragged on for over three years. Usually, this would be a huge warning sign for me, but you do not in any way get the sense, that this is a project that was left on the shelf because it wasn’t any good.
Quite the opposite. There’s so much footage that they often do a split screen and show you from several angles. Again, not a bad thing. Though it does make me want to watch this movie again to catch all the things, I’m sure I missed.
Visually stunning
The quality of the shots is outstanding. And I really truly mean that. If you had told me that this was a J.J. Abrams production along the lines of Cloverfield, then I would absolutely believe it. The images are crystal clear, and when shots are out of focus – or the sound is a bit off – it makes perfect sense. This is after all shot documentary style. A perfect way to actively make a “real” movie instead of being someone who just “happens to be filming” no matter what happens. And yes, I do realize this was the case in Cloverfield, but back then it was still innovative.
For me, the way The Triangle was made, is the perfect way to combine documentary and fiction into the docu-drama style. When first watching this movie, you get the feeling that you are actually just watching a documentary. And it’s a fascinating one about a group of people that never left really Burning Man, but took it with them instead. They want to live free of all the noise in the world, and just exist and be happy. It’s a very honest and pure portrayal of the group.
Are they a cult or a commune? Well, they seem focused on themselves more than dragging in outsiders, which isn’t very cult-like. Still, you just know there’s more to this place than meets the eye. And there is! What I really like, is the fact that throughout the movie, the documentary filmmakers show respect towards the people they’re filming. However, they also try to be honest and that’s a fine line that’s interesting to watch as an outsider!
You can’t look away from The Triangle – and you won’t want to
The twist in The Triangle is as organic as the change from documentary to fiction. It’s all very smooth and you can’t really tell the difference. This includes having every single person in the movie listed as playing him- or herself in the credits.
There’s so much you want to see in this. From their way of life in the triangle commune to the personal relationships. Especially between the crew and the people, who have been living here for three years after meeting at Burning Man. In real life, they all lived at this camp for two weeks during shooting, which is why a lot of it is actually documenting a way of life in the triangle camp. They simply shot everything real-time and then came the intense task of editing, which took three years.
And yes, it is both horror and mystery, but it’s also shot documentary style and the driving force is a psychological thriller. It’s a lot, I know, and it’s probably not for everyone. For me, however, it sure as Hell works!
The Triangle is available as digital VOD on the major outlets like iTunes, Amazon, Xbox and Vudu.
Details
Director: David Blair, Nathaniel Peterson, Adam Pitman, Andrew Rizzo and Adam Stilwell
Writer: David Blair, Nathaniel Peterson, Adam Pitman, Andrew Rizzo and Adam Stilwell
Cast: Brick Patrick, Lee Rizzo, Ciara Rose Griffin, Andy Greenfield and also all the writers/directors
Plot
After receiving an unsettling postcard from an estranged friend living in a secluded commune, four filmmakers take their cameras into the wilderness of Montana to document the mysterious inner workings of the group on their disconcerting road to self-sufficiency, witnessing something more shocking than they ever imagined.
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