If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.

It’s a term that Hollywood seems to have ignored for many years now with remake after remake being churned out. It appears that Hollywood has run out of original ideas.

This is why I almost choked on my tea when I heard that the greatest sci-fi horror film is getting resurrected. No, not Alien, but Event Horizon. It’s been confirmed that Amazon and Paramount have agreed to an Event Horizon remake or project, although details are scarce at the moment.

Released in 1997, it has become iconic. The line-up was stellar – Sam Neill; Lawrence Fishburne and Jason Issacs being the pick of the bunch. One of the standout features was the intense, creepy atmosphere that it delivered. But more on that later. At the time, though, it was a financial failure. It only took $26.7 million against a production budget of $60 million. Critics also took potshots at it; lamenting the script and some of the horror cliches. It’s a shame as director Paul W.S. Anderson has gone on to be a revered director in the sci-fi genre; particularly with his work on the Resident Evil franchise. It’s only more recently that the film has achieved cult status. And there’s a good reason why it has.

To Hell, and Back

The premise of the story is based around a crew of astronauts who are on a rescue mission to reach a missing spaceship, the Event Horizon. Set in 2047, the ship suddenly appears in Neptune’s orbit. The rescue crew quickly discover that the ship was a test bed for an experimental engine that managed to open a rift in the time-space continuum. It soon becomes clear that the ship left our universe, only to return with a malevolent entity that has possessed the ship. This has caused the previous crew to go insane and murder each other. It has been described by critics as The Shining in space, and that’s not actually a bad description. I would add that there are elements of gore-horror a-la Hellraiser, and good old-fashioned sci-fi action. But there is also a disturbing under-belly that meanders throughout the whole film.

Let’s start with the opening credits. The fanfare of the Paramount logo and intro fools you into a false sense of security. It quickly fades into black, followed by swirls of space atmosphere. The brooding music sets the theme nicely as the credits roll. As I mentioned earlier, the actors are a huge part of what makes this film so good.

Lawrence Fishburne is fantastic as the cool and controlled Captain Miller, who is the commander of the rescue vessel the Lewis and Clark. Sam Neill also does a sterling job of playing the designer of the Event Horizon ship, Dr William ‘Billy’ Weir. Praise should also go to Jason Issacs who plays the medical doctor D.J, and Sean Pertwee who adds some rough charm as Smith, pilot of the Lewis and Clark. In fact, there are only seven other actors in the entire movie. This, I feel, just adds to the dark atmosphere of helplessness that marauds through the whole film.

As the story unfolds, various crew members have flashbacks of tragedies that have happened in their lives. Every member relives their personal horrors through apparitions, but it soon becomes very real. There are so many great scenes throughout the film that are genuinely unsettling.

The footage that is found on the Event Horizon’s computer shows scenes of the previous crew engaging in murder; rape and disembowelment. This apparently, is what hell looks like. The scene is very brief, but according to Paul Anderson, the original scene was meant to be much longer. Unfortunately, the studio instructed them to cut it down; along with the whole film. I feel this is a travesty, as you don’t really get to find out enough about what happened to the crew when they passed through into another universe. Although it makes true horror fans feel short-changed, it does leave a lot more to the imagination, which adds to the mystery of the film.

So why not give it a remake, then?

To be honest, I don’t actually know how they would make it any better. Event Horizon doesn’t need a remake. Yes, the special effects have moved on in the twenty-odd years since the film was made, but they are still damn good. Especially awesome is the end fight scene between Dr Weir – who is now possessed and brought back from the dead- and Captain Miller. It takes place near the gateway of the ship and its shot perfectly. The suspense is built through the use of the set; lighting and music.

Sam Neill plays the evil Dr Weir with satisfying terror, although the prosthetics certainly help. All the actors deserve credit for their performances. They all played their roles with passion and without a hint of overacting (are you listening, Bill Shatner?). The use of fire across the walkway doesn’t look dated in the slightest either, as does the gateway of the ship, which also looks modern. You could say, if you squinted your eyes hard enough, that the Event Horizon looks like an elongated Klingon Bird of Prey. Perhaps that is a nod of the cap towards the Trek universe.

All in all, the set pieces; costumes and prosthetics are all done brilliantly. In my opinion, it doesn’t look dated in the slightest. It’s interesting to note that there was quite a bit of character backstory that was cut from the film. I would say that is the only criticism of the film, as you find yourself wanting to know more; particularly about Dr Weir and Captain Miller.

A modern-day Event Horizon remake would add some twenty-first-century CGI, but as I’ve mentioned, this film still cuts it today. The atmosphere that permeates throughout is genuinely unsettling and creepy. More credit is due to composer Michael Kamen, who handled the musical score. The acting is stellar across the board, and Paul W.S Anderson’s directing is both unnerving and snappy. Phillips Eisner is a genius for writing the script in the first place, so Hollywood, please, please don’t ruin a classic.

And that’s why Event Horizon doesn’t need a remake. Do you agree or disagree with our points or have anything to add? If so, leave us a comment below.

More of our sci-fi movie articles HERE.

Read IMDB information about Event Horizon HERE.