Gehenna: Where Death Lives

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Gehenna: Where Death Lives
Gehenna- Where Death Lives poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Hiroshi Katagiri
Screenplay by
  • Hiroshi Katagiri
  • Nathan Long
  • Brad Palmer
Produced byKoodae Kim
Starring
CinematographyYohei Tateishi
Edited byYoshio Kohashi
Music byYuan Liu
Distributed byUncork'd Entertainment
Release dates
  • October 6, 2016 (2016-10-06)(Shriekfest Film Festival)
  • June 30, 2018 (2018-06-30)
Running time
105 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Japan
LanguageEnglish

Gehenna: Where Death Lives is a 2016 American-Japanese horror film directed by Hiroshi Katagiri. An international co-production between the United States and Japan, the film stars Justin Gordon, Eva Swan, Simon Phillips, Doug Jones, Lance Henriksen, and Patrick Gorman. [1] The plot follows a group of real estate developers who travel to a remote Pacific island to scout a location for a new resort, only to stumble upon a hidden World War II bunker that unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Contents

Gehenna: Where Death Lives was acquired by Uncork'd Entertainment in 2018 and officially released on May 4, 2018. An early screening took place at Saipan Regal Cinemas on June 30, 2018. [2] [3] The film garnered mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its practical effects and performances, but criticism for its pacing and reliance on familiar horror tropes drew some criticism. It has since a cult following and found success on video-on-demand platforms.

Plot

A group of real estate developers—Paulina, Ty, Dave, Jorge, and their local guide Pepe—who visit the remote Pacific island of Saipan to scout a location for a new luxury resort. The group is excited about the potential of the island, but things take a dark turn when they discover an abandoned World War II bunker hidden deep in the jungle. Intrigued by the historical value and potential significance of the site, the group decides to explore the bunker despite warnings from the locals.

Upon entering the bunker, they find evidence of disturbing rituals and human remains, which heightens the tension. Strange occurrences begin soon after, with the group experiencing eerie visions and hearing unsettling sounds. Paulina begins to see a mysterious elderly man, who at first seems to be a harmless hallucination but quickly becomes more menacing. Meanwhile, Ty and Dave begin to suffer from terrifying visions of people from the past, adding to the group's mounting anxiety.

As they venture deeper into the bunker, they uncover hidden chambers and disturbing relics, including symbols and writings that suggest the site was used for dark rituals during World War II. The group soon realizes that the bunker is not just a relic of the war but a place of immense supernatural power, cursed by the atrocities that took place there. They are confronted by the spirits of those who died in the bunker, trapped by malevolent forces.

As the paranormal activity escalates, the group members are individually haunted by their darkest fears. Paulina and the others are faced with hallucinations that blur the line between reality and the supernatural. The elderly man, who once appeared to Paulina, is revealed to be a key figure in the bunker’s dark history, tied to the unspeakable horrors that took place there. The group begins to turn on each other as paranoia and fear set in, and they realize that they are not just dealing with ghosts but with an ancient evil intent on claiming their lives.

In a desperate attempt to escape, the group tries to retrace their steps out of the bunker. However, the supernatural forces have trapped them, and the bunker’s corridors seem to shift and change, making escape impossible. Pepe, who has a deeper understanding of the island’s history, reveals that the only way to survive is to confront the source of the curse and the spirits that guard the bunker.

In the film's climax, the group is forced to face the full power of the ancient evil that resides in the bunker. Paulina and the remaining survivors must use their wits to break the curse, freeing the spirits trapped within the bunker. The battle against the malevolent force culminates in a life-or-death struggle as the group fights to escape the bunker before they are consumed by the dark forces within.

Ultimately, they fail to escape and die one by one until the last survivor is revealed to be the wretch killed by the group upon waking up in the bunker at the start of the movie. [4] [5] [6]

Cast

Production

Gehenna: Where Death Lives is Hiroshi Katagiri's debut feature as a director. [7] Filming was completed in Los Angeles, California, as well as on the islands of Saipan and Tinian in 2015. [8] The film employed traditional special-effects makeup, created by Spectral Motion in Glendale, California, to achieve its gory scenes. [9]

This was the first feature film to be significantly shot in Saipan and Tinian, marking an important milestone in the cinema of Northern Mariana Islands. While the production and director were not local, much of the crew, extras, and some actors were from Saipan. The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands supported the film’s production, and local citizens also contributed through crowdfunding efforts. The film's significance was recognized locally as it was not only shot in Saipan but also set there, with hopes that it would inspire more Marianas-bred filmmakers to pursue ambitious projects. [10]

Release

Gehenna: Where Death Lives premiered at the Shriekfest Film Festival in Los Angeles in October 2016. [11] [12] The film made its United Kingdom debut at the Bram Stoker International Film Festival on October 27, 2016, and premiered in Australia at A Night of Horror Film Festival on November 24, 2016. [13] It also screened at various other festivals, including the New York City International Film Festival and the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival in 2016. In 2017, it was shown at the Indie Horror Film Festival in Chicago. [14]

In 2018, the film was acquired by Uncork'd Entertainment, and a limited theatrical and VOD release in the United States was announced for May 4, 2018. Additionally, an early screening was held at Saipan's Regal Cinemas starting on June 30, 2018. [15] [16] [17]

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Gehenna: Where Death Lives holds an approval rating of 50%, based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. [18]

Noel Murray from the Los Angeles Times noted, "Gehenna: Where Death Lives features impressive gore effects, but the plot's an uninspired hodgepodge of dozens of other 'haunted structure' pictures, set at a plodding pace, in a gray, dim location. It peaks in its first five minutes. The remaining 100 go nowhere, slowly." [19] Dennis Harvey from Variety commented that while the film's premise showed promise and the performances were competent, it was ultimately undermined by its underdeveloped script and lack of genuine scares. [20]

Norman Gidney from Film Threat acknowledged the film's flaws, stating, "Not perfect, not by a longshot," but added that it is "too much fun not to see through to the end." [21]

Awards

In 2017, Gehenna: Where Death Lives won Best Cinematography for a Feature Film at the Indie Horror Film Festival in Chicago. [22]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Weiss, Josh (April 17, 2018). "Exclusive: Doug Jones delivers an eerie message in clip from horror film Gehenna: Where Death Lives". Syfy Wire. Syfy. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ Couch, Aaron (April 10, 2018). "Doug Jones Gets Creepy in Trailer for 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Gehenna: Where Death Lives on iTunes". iTunes. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  4. ↑ Webster, Christopher (April 12, 2018). "GEHENNA Trailer: Doug Jones Stars in Katagiri Hiroshi's Directorial Debut". Screen Anarchy . Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ Savage, Chris (April 12, 2018). "New Trailer for Doug Jones' 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". HorrorMovies.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  6. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (April 30, 2018). "Film Review: 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  7. ↑ Anderson, Derek (April 17, 2018). "Watch an Exclusive Clip from GEHENNA: WHERE DEATH LIVES, Co-Starring Lance Henriksen". Daily Dead. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Derek (September 4, 2017). "Q&A with GEHENNA: WHERE DEATH LIVES Director Hiroshi Katagiri & Executive Producer Saik Meng Kee". Daily Dead. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  9. ↑ Sprague, Mike (April 14, 2018). "Doug Jones and Lance Henriksen Join Forces in Hiroshi Katagiri's Gehenna: Where Death Lives This May". Dread Central . Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ Vicente Ben Salas II (30 October 2016). "Gehenna: Where Death Lives - and new filmmaking opportunities begin on Saipan?". The Guam Daily Post. Guam. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Billington, Alex (April 12, 2018). "Full Trailer for Extra Creepy Bunker Horror 'Gehenna' with Doug Jones". FirstShowing.net. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Gehenna Where Death Lives". Shriekfest. Archived from the original on September 29, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  13. ↑ Noonan, John. "Gehenna: Where Death Lives (A Night Of Horror Film Festival)". Filmink . Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Home Page - Gehenna". Gehenna official website. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  15. ↑ Cranswick, Amie (April 13, 2018). "Trailer, poster and images for horror Gehenna: Where Death Lives starring Doug Jones and Lance Henriksen". Flickering Myth. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  16. ↑ Squires, John (April 10, 2018). "[Trailer] Doug Jones and Lance Henriksen Star in 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  17. ↑ McNeely, Kelli Marchman (April 23, 2018). "'Gehenna: Where Death Lives' Coming To Theaters And VOD This May". Horror Fuel. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Gehenna: Where Death Lives (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  19. ↑ Murray, Noel (3 May 2018). "Tedium quickly overwhelms promising opening of horror flick 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". LA Times.com. Noel Murray. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  20. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (30 April 2018). "'Gehenna: Where Death Lives' Review: – Variety". Variety.com. Dennis Harvey. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  21. ↑ Gidney, Norman (3 May 2018). "Gehenna: Where Death Lives". FilmThreat.com. Norman Gidney. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  22. ↑ "2017 Season". Indie Horror Film Festival. Breaking Fate Entertainment. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
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