After surviving a freak plane crash as a child, Katerina (Svetlana Ivanova) has conquered her fears and is set to once again take flight with her young daughter in tow. Sometimes fear can be a life saver…
Before the plane even leaves the tarmac, things start getting tense as shit as the weird/stressed passengers (what there are of them) and strange noises begin to take a hold on our heroine, bringing back the trauma… but, she refuses to give in and ditches her meds. I’m sure that’ll only help.
Once in the air, a storm starts brewing, and our heroine begins reliving her past as things turn decidedly more nightmarish, not that the unblinking, unmoving flight attendants notice… but an in-flight heart attack seems to snap everybody to, and then all hell breaks loose… but is what is happening merely coincidence and a mental health speed bump, or is something more preternatural afoot?
Director Alexander Babaev’s Row 19 is a nice slice of Twilight Zone style storytelling that makes the most of it’s limited cast and locations to deliver a strong psychological/supernatural thriller with a few twists and turns, and rock solid production values, but it takes a bit to get where it is going.
While the runtime is 77 minutes (with credits), there is a slow burn element at play that admittedly contributes to the tension, but may turn off viewers who are hot n’ horny for the ghoulish goings-on to ensue post-haste. That aside, the narrative is gripping, and the it’s a great deal of fun trying to figure just what in the unholy fuck is happening to our beleaguered heroine.
Speaking of which, Ivanova makes for a suitably sympathetic and frazzled heroine, and the rest of the cast is excellent as well across the board. Also on point is the slick visuals courtesy of cinematographer Nikolay Smirnov and effects work.
Since this is a recent film released on Blu-ray, the picture and sound are excellent, but unfortunately there are no special features, save for the film’s trailer.
All in all, Row 19 is a solid horror thriller with high production values and a strong narrative, and that is pretty damn good if you ask yours cruelly… which you didn’t…
Check out Row 19 on Blu-ray (as well as DVD and Digital) from Well Go USA Entertainment on May 31st!
