This Australia/New Zealand film received no attention in the United States. It was not one of the few foreign films that were lucky enough to grace our theaters. Does that mean that it is a waste of time? Far from it. This gem may have missed the U.S. market, but it should not miss anyone’s film gazing eyes. Watch Triangle and be prepared to have your mind spin in an intensely suspenseful circle that will leave you entertained for ninety-eight minutes.
The best part of all, the viewer has to use their mind to make connections and interpret things that happen within the film. I found myself constantly trying to figure out what was going on as the film unraveled in a unique story that was refreshingly original.
Personally, I enjoy movies that make me think and force me to come to my own conclusions. I feel more involved in the film because I’m striving to make sense of things. Films that lay everything out in the open can be wonderful films, but they often don’t leave a lasting impression in my mind. It’s the films that make my heart race and mind spin with twists coming from every which way that truly satisfy my film watching appetite.
This film does not feature any well-known actors and it’s nice to not be distracted by big name performers. The movie becomes less about which Hollywood star is featured in the film and more about the characters within the context of the story. All of the actors were well cast and do a fine job in their roles. They are all believable and genuine. Jess (Melissa George) is convincing as a stressed out mother who is terrified to find herself on a bizarrely deserted ship after her friend’s boat capsizes during a storm. All she wants to do is go home to her son and she is forced to endure the eccentricities that the ship beseeches upon her and her friends.
While I was watching Triangle, I kept being reminded of Momento. Not that the stories have anything in common whatsoever, but due to the fact that both films are uniquely edited in a way that compliments their stories. Momento was told in a nonlinear fashion so that the viewer was in the mindset of someone with short-term memory loss. Triangle picks up in the middle of the story and was edited in a way that made you feel Jess’s frustration as she experienced extreme deja vu. Both films used the nonlinear editing to help the viewer become closer to the character’s mindset. You felt as they felt. This technique is effective in fully immersing the viewer into the film. For both films, I was hooked and desperately wanted to know what was going on.
Triangle is the type of film that raced through my mind for days after watching. I would try to connect the dots and come up with a viable conclusion. I finally struck “connection gold” while working out, nearly colliding with the wall as the revelation came to me so unexpectedly.
SPOILER ALERT: The rest of the review goes into detail about what I feel the ending meant in the context of the film. It reveals key elements of the plot. If you do not want to know the ending, cease reading immediately.
The last scene of the movie is the key to understanding the entire film. Approaching that scene, we learn that Jess has been repeating the same actions at least twenty times, if not more. On the ship, she sees a pile of her lockets as well as a pile of dead Sally's (Rachael Carpani). She also runs into her friends, even after they have died. They continue to board the ship after their boat capsizes. It is as if someone hit the rewind button. The biggest shock is that she interacts with herself. The viewer watches as she gradually becomes the killer that she was originally trying to escape.
Jess eventually makes it back to land. Only, the mystery doesn’t end there. She sees herself abusing her son Tommy (Joshua McIvor) in her home and becomes so infuriated by the sight, that she bludgeons her “evil” self to death. Jess then takes Tommy and her dead body into her car. While driving, she hits a seagull. She pulls over and throws the seagull down by the water into a pile of many other dead seagulls. At this point, it is glaringly obvious that Jess is stuck in an endless circle. It is as if a record needle is skipping, repeating the same song in her life over and over again.
After Jess’s car crashes into a semi-truck, people rush over to help. Tommy is dead on the street, as is the previously dead “evil” Jess. The Jess who was driving the car, stands by without a scratch on her, watching the horrific scene unfold. No one takes notice of her. It is as if she is invisible.
A taxi driver approaches her and asks if she wants a lift. He wears a short black shirt, reminiscent of a priest. It is my belief that the Jess we have been following for the entire movie was dead the whole time. She is stuck in this self-imposed limbo because of the guilt she feels for the car wreck that not only killed herself, but also her son. She has created this fictional scenario in an effort to save her son. Sadly, this feat is impossible. She is doomed to repeat this tragedy until she can come to grips with it and move on to the next phase of her life.
The taxi driver is willing to take her to heaven when she is ready; however, Jess wants to return to the dock, go back on the same boat that will inevitably capsize, and start the race to save her son all over again.
I think the “evil” Jess is Jess fearing that she wasn’t a good enough mother to her son when she was alive. She wishes she had been more patient and loving towards him. She has this uncontrollable sense of guilt.
I also don’t believe that Jess ever went sailing with Greg (Michael Dorman) before. I think he was a customer she met at the restaurant she worked and he invited her sailing. Due to her son, she always turned him down. Now that she is dead, she sees the boat as a way to sail home. Sadly, it is a home that no longer exists. One that was shattered by a car crash.
Triangle is well-made, thought out, and gripping to watch. It is advertised as a horror film, yet it has very few jump out of your seat moments. Triangle is more along the lines of a supernatural suspense film. The story flows well and the editing of the film compliments Jess's freaked out experience, creating a high level of intensity and curiosity for the viewer to devour. In the end, Triangle is a heartbreaking film, but one that should definitely be watched and enjoyed. For it is these little films that escape the public's narrow film watching line of sight that can surprise and entertain us the most.
The Breakdown:
Plot: 4 stars
Acting/characters: 3 stars
Genre: 3 stars
Technical Aspects: 3 stars
Overall: 3 stars
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