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Deathwatch Details

2002 DVD Certificate 15.gif
  • Rated:
  • 50
  • from 3185 members

Ciki and Nino, a Bosnian and a Serb, are soldiers stranded in No Man's Land - a trench between enemy lines during the Bosnian war. They have no one to trust, no way to escape without getting shot, and a fellow soldier is lying on the trench floor with a spring-loaded bomb set to explode beneath him if he moves. The absurdity of .. Read more

Starring Jamie Bell, Hugo Speer, Matthew Rhys, Andy Serkis
Director Michael J. Bassett
Genres Thriller

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Deathwatch

Ciki and Nino, a Bosnian and a Serb, are soldiers stranded in No Man's Land - a trench between enemy lines during the Bosnian war. They have no one to trust, no way to escape without getting shot, and a fellow soldier is lying on the trench floor with a spring-loaded bomb set to explode beneath him if he moves. The absurdity of their situation would be comical if it didn't have such dire consequences. With the two men stuck in a bizarre predicament, a frustrated UN sergeant tries to help, despite orders to remain at his post. When a journalist waylays the sergeant while pushing for an exclusive scoop, she affects the unfolding of events and turns a news story into an international circus. With the world's press waiting for an outcome, no one willing to take action (lest they accept responsibility). Ciki and Nino try to keep their humanity amidst the insanity of war.

Starring Jamie Bell, Hugo Speer, Matthew Rhys, Andy Serkis, Dean Lennox
Director Michael J. Bassett
Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 35 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Thriller
Language English
Hearing-impaired English
Released DVD: 16 Jun 2003
Production year: 2002
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (3) of Deathwatch

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  • 1 stars out of 5

    If war is hell, this combat-themed chiller from debutant writer/director Michael J Bassett isn't much better. Billy Elliot's Jamie Bell plays the youngest recruit of a First World War platoon that's lost deep in enemy territory, but takes refuge in an uncharted trench where the men are systematically picked off by a seemingly supernatural assassin. There's little to set the pulse racing, apart from some ghostly noises and a few gory effects, and Bassett's lumbering direction blasts any artistry, horror or suspense clean out of the target area. It also doesn't help that you can't work out who's doing what to whom, as the uniformed actors are covered from head to foot in mud in the murky, smoke-filled trench. Frankly, it's all tedious on the western front in this bum-numbing bore.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 08 Oct 2007

  • The haunted house structure - unseen forces and trapped folk picked off in baroque ways - is transposed to a trench on... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
    • Posted 04 Nov 2008

  • Most helpful member's review of Deathwatch

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  • 8 out of 8 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Evil presence in WW1 trench

    Soldiers in the Great War get lost in mustard gas and find themselves in a German trench. They display aggressive behaviour and it's not clear whether it's the effect of the war or something in the trench.

    Jamie Bell's character speaks out and although at first he appears to be the weakest character has the strength to fight the aggressors.

    With all the horror films there have been, this one still has the power to surprise and shock. I was glued to the screen from the titles to the special features which shows the making of the film and interviews with cast and crew.

    All in all a great experience. Watch and enjoy.

      • Teri Ward from Porthcawl, South Wales
      • Posted 20 Oct 2005 20:43

  • Most recent members' review of Deathwatch

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  • 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    nice nurvey, brit horror.

    WW1 lost platoon discovers german trench and a horror worse than the war.

    Not a bad Brit flick opening sequence shows the horror of WW1 and the plight of boy soldiers(Jamie Bell).It then uses 'what war makes a man' story to show the diffrent ways conflict and death effect and structure individuals.

    All in all good try.

      • Graham Williams from Merseyside
      • Posted 31 Aug 2004 15:37

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3,185 Member ratings
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530
  • 50
469
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456
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357
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331
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    • Deathwatch
      Ciki and Nino, a Bosnian and a Serb, are soldiers stranded in No Man's Land - a trench between enemy lines during the Bosnian war. They have no one to trust, no way to escape without getting shot, and a fellow soldier is lying on the trench floor with a spring-loaded bomb set to explode beneath him ...