Paintball

Suspense Drama

Icon Film Distribution

R4 DVD

Paintball is supposed to be loads of fun for would-be warriors. There is lots of running around in the woods shooting at each other with paint guns and generally playing a real-life video game. It is supposed to teach cooperation as the members must learn to trust each other and work as a team to defeat their opponents. At least, that’s the theory. But what if it becomes more deadly?

A group of blindfolded people is dropped off at a starting point in the remote RedBall Woods somewhere in Europe. Their goal is to work their way to each of a sequence of flags and reach the end alive and not covered in paint. They start the battle almost immediately by walking straight into an ambush by the opposing team. They escape the ambush and somehow manage to obtain a bulletproof vest – an unlikely prize in a non-fatal competition. They move on towards the next point, marked by a flag. Along the way they are ambushed again but this time someone is using live ammunition and a real gun. One member is killed and one only survives because he is veering the bulletproof vest.

The team immediately falls to pieces. Women scream hysterically, men swear and shout, all their training and cooperation falls to pieces. One man emerges as the leader and he shepherds the reluctant survivors on to the next flag. They are now a little more cautious. At the next flag a case contains a machete and an odd piece of machined metal. They take the machete and leave the metal, but another member is killed. The piece of metal later turns out to be significant.

The woods are littered with closed circuit cameras and traps and it is now clear that they are playing a survival game for real, for the benefit of whoever is watching through the cameras. There is no way out since the woods are surrounded by an electrified fence, so they must play the game, moving desperately from flag to flag and collecting weapons until only one member is left. That one must face the killer who is stalking them.

It is a good film but unfortunately it is let down a little by the constant use of a handheld camera. It jerks, wobbles, goes off on meaningless pans and scans then returns to the subject – it may help to convey a sense of action but after a while it is just plain annoying. Note to the Director Daniel Benmayor – next time, rent a tripod with the camera.

Otherwise, Paintball will keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration. For a budget film it is very good.

Reviews appear on the Synergy website with a single cover image. In the digital and print edition, reviews appear with multiple images and with expanded content.

This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 6 of the digital and print edition of Synergy.

We recommend you download the free digital edition (or buy the print edition) to get the most from Synergy. The print and digital editions of Synergy also include a large selection of articles and features not found on the website. If you have a limited download quota you can view the digital edition via the Issuu viewer on the digital edition page.

If you came to this page directly (and missed our menu), click here to go to the front page of Synergy Website or use the following link: http://www.synergy-magazine.com