ABC Film Challenge – 2010 Movies – S – Siren – Movie Review – A seductive tale of an ancient folklore.
Director: Andrew Hull
Writer: Andrew Hull, Geoffrey Gunn (Screenplay)
Cast
- Eion Macken (The Cellar)
- Anna Skellern (The Descent: Part II)
- Tereza Srbova (Red Joan)
- Anthony Jabre
Plot: Strange goings-on ensues when a few friends on a sailboat find an island with a beautiful lone female inhabitant.
Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Siren starts as Ken (Macken), Rachel (Skellern) and Marco (Jabre) are going on a sailing trip. When Marco sees someone in need of help, he grounds the boat. Leaving the three meet a beautiful young woman Silka (Srbova) and an injured man.
As the four spend time on the island, they start noticing strange events. Rachel is drawn towards Silka, while the guys are driven crazy by an unknown presence. The three discover other dead bodies on the island and look to escape before becoming the latest victims.
Verdict on Siren
Characters
Ken is a businessman whose work has got his friends the boat for the trip. He is engaged to Rachel, but not pushing forward with the wedding plans. Still, getting excited by kinky sex often pushes Rachel into joining him in dangerous situations. He does have a short temper, one that can be exposed quickly, like a switch.
Rachel is the fiancée who once had a relationship with Marco. She wanted to set him up with a girlfriend of hers, only to be let down. She brings a friendly nature, the one that wants to help a person in need. Rachel is drawn to Silka, the one who wanted to help her.
Silka is the siren on the island, coming off like a lost survivor on the island. She has been drawing people to the island, with the three latest victims, seeing who she can trust to stay with her.
Marco is the third friend on the trip, travelling the world. He has seen a lot and knows he let Rachel go in the past. He still has a longing for what once was. Being the one that sees what is going on with Silka on the island.
Performances
Eion Macken (Resident Evil: The Final Chapter) shows us a character that is selfish, arrogant and believes he is the best for Rachel. He makes this character his own, full of hate toward anyone he sees as beneath him.
Tereza Srbova (Goal! III) as the siren works very well, she has the seductive look to make herself draw people in. having an innocent side too, shows how easily people would stop to help her.
Anna Skellern (Blood Moon) is Rachel, the purest of the four characters we meet. She brings the character to life with her down-to-Earth approach to everything she goes through.
Story
The story follows three friends that find themselves drawn to an island by a lone surviving woman. They soon discover what has been happening, but it is too late as she has got into their heads already. The group will need to shake their minds if they are going to make it off.
Using the old sea folk tale of sirens drawn sailors to their deaths. This movie will show a modern image of this, one where the siren has adapted to a more human appearance. Although still conducting the same spells on their victims. The added love triangle will make things a little bit more interesting, but not by much. It is all about what the siren figure will do to her victims.
Themes
Siren is a horror thriller that uses a remote island as the main setting. Placed our characters there in need of fixing their boat to escape. The location would be a prime location for a siren figure to conduct their games. When it comes to the effects, we only see the slow aftermath of what happens, when she conducts her magic.
Where to Watch: Siren is available to rent or buy on Apple TV in the UK.
Final Thoughts – Siren is a seductive thriller, one that modernises an old folklore tale.
