Triangle (2009) Poster

(2009)

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7/10
"You Will Come Back....Won't You?"
Mr_Saxon24 November 2009
How to talk about "Triangle" without giving anything away? It's a puzzle equal to that which the movie presents its audience, because this isn't your standard horror movie. It has more in common with plot-twisting movies such as "Momento" and "The Machinist" than the gory likes of "Halloween" or "Ghost Ship".

Perhaps a good start is offer some praise to the director Christopher Smith whose work i've been a fan of since "Creep". I also greatly enjoyed his follow-up "Severence", but "Triangle" is easily his most mature effort so far; and the entire movie has an almost dream-like atmosphere to it. It certainly looks beautiful and the haunting music adds to this ambiance.

Melissa George, who plays the central role here, is quietly impressive; she's never really been an actress who has stood out to me in her previous roles, and so it was a pleasant surprise to see her rising to the occasion of taking center stage. It's only a shame that her character is so haunted and inaccessible. This isn't George's fault; the role is written in a way which keeps her detached not only from the other characters but also from the moviegoers. She's constantly aloof and distracted which can be initially annoying; it's hard to care for a character which you can't warm to.

I would certainly applaud the makers for attempting something different to the standard horror story (although, I do admit that it is very similar in theme to one other recent movie that you'll probably see mentioned a few times in the forum for "Triangle") and I certainly enjoyed the experience. I'd recommend staying away from learning too much about the plot beforehand (the trailer, in particular, gives far too much away) if at all possible.

"Triangle" is very much like a movie-length version of a "Twilight Zone" episode but its also a very flawed piece. There's an intelligence at work in the script; the way in which the pieces of the puzzle are presented to the audience is done in a skilled manner but it also suffers from thinking it's far cleverer than it actually is. There are plot holes to be found by those who dwell on the story, and the ending isn't quite as neat as the movie believes it to be.

Still, this is an impressive effort and well worth checking out (especially if you're a fan of the two superior movies mentioned earlier - "Momento" and "The Machinist"). In a world in which cinematic horror tends to involve torture and cheap shocks, it's nice to find a more psychological effort that looks for other ways to creep under your skin.
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8/10
Surprisingly excellent.
lewiskendell19 November 2010
"You're just having a bad dream. That's all baby. It's all it was. Bad dreams make you think you've seen things that you haven't." 

Triangle is a very good movie about Melissa George's perfect legs, and how they...wait, let me try this again. 

Triangle is actually an effective, intelligent, layered horror/thriller (starring Melissa George's perfect legs). I can't go into the story very much, as there's not much detail that can be given out with ruining it. I'll just say that a curiously detached young mother and a group of people go out sailing one gorgeous day, get caught in a storm, and find themselves shipwrecked. A massive approaching ocean liner appears to bring salvation, but once they're on-board, it seems strangely deserted. Soon people start dying, and the plot takes a sharp left turn that puts it at a cut above the typical slasher flick that Triangle seems to be at first glance. 

I'll admit that I was a little underwhelmed by the movie at first, but it definitely gets much better as it goes along. I really have to give the movie credit for how clever and ambitious it attempts (and succeeds) to be. The best description of Triangle I can give without ruining anything is a combination of The Shining and Donnie Darko, with a really hot lead actress. It's mind-bending in just the right way. There were lots of different points that the story could have fallen apart and stopped making sense, but that never happened. By the end, there are no loose ends. And I'll add that the title is particularly meaningful. 

If you're open-minded, attentive, and ready for something slightly different, chances are that you'll love this movie. I certainly enjoyed it.
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8/10
Very good and intriguing
Lord_Frog27 August 2009
I just came back from the world premiere at FrightFest in London, it was the festival opener as well so expectations were high and it didn't disappoint! Much better than Creep and Severance, this is Christopher Smith's most ambitious film. A mind-bending story that is as puzzling as it is original, Triangle is more a mystery than a horror movie in my opinion. Gorehounds will be sorely disappointed. This is more about a situation which becomes more and more surreal, almost dream-like, I thought during the film that I've had similar nightmares as a kid... nightmares going around in circles and getting more and more frightening because I knew when or how the monster would inevitably come back...

The plot (no spoilers): after their yacht is overturned during a freak storm, a group of friends are desperate for help. A cruise ship suddenly appears and they see a figure looking down at them from the bridge for a few seconds. They climb on board but there is no crew, no passengers, nothing. Saying anything more would be ruining the movie, so I'll stop here.

After the movie ended in a round of applause, Christopher Smith said that it took him 2 years to write the script, and in the end it's not surprising as this is a very complex plot and to make all the pieces fall into place must have been a daunting task! Good acting by Melissa George and the rest of the cast, but her haunting performance takes center stage very quickly as the movie goes on a WTF / Twilight Zone-ish mode. All in all I recommend it, I really enjoyed it and it kept me guessing the whole time so if you like unconventional, mind-f*** movies, this is one for you!
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Haunting
Cujo10812 May 2010
Jess (Melissa George) is a single mother struggling to raise her autistic son. While working her job at a diner, she become friends with one of the customers, a playboy type named Greg who invites her on a yachting trip with he and his friends. Desperate for a break from her son, she takes him up on his offer. The day of the trip, she's late getting to the boat and arrives flustered. She says that her son is at school, but it's a Saturday. Despite her questionable frame of mind, Greg introduces her to the group (including uptight sister, Sally, and his first mate, Victor, both of whom are vocal in their reservations about her) and off they go. It's smooth sailing at first, but an out of nowhere storm leaves the boat capsized and the remaining passengers stranded. They think they're in luck when an ocean liner passes by, though boarding the ship is just the beginning of things going from bad to worse.

This is the third film I've seen from director Christopher Smith. Creep left me unimpressed, but I liked Severance well enough, shoddy ending aside. This, however, is easily the most rewarding of the three. What looked like it would be your typical slasher set on a ship turns out to be something far more intriguing. What we get instead is a mind-bending little trip with an obtuse mood and a curving story. I can see some people thinking of the film as being too repetitive, but I was caught up in the mystery right off the bat. This is a well put together film with some interesting questions at it's core. While it's not completely fresh (there are some definite similarities to Timecrimes), it still kept it's hooks in me for the duration. Smith put a lot of time into the script, reportedly a few years, and I feel that it paid off.

Triangle also wraps up with it's own unique explanation, one that's Sisyphean in theme. Another of the film's top qualities would be the strength of some of it's visuals, the most notable example being Sally crawling amidst something that I will leave unspoiled. A wicked sight and a sure shock when it pops up.

This film deserved to play in theaters. Aside from the fact that it's far superior to a lot of the horror that gets theater play these days, it's just a damn fine film that would benefit from being seen on the big screen. The Blu-ray is beautiful! Regardless, Christopher Smith has given us a haunting treat that will continue to fester in your mind long after that initial viewing. A must-see!
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6/10
Decent attempt at a Loop-Mystery, flawed by holes in its inner logic.
fahnenjoker10 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Triangle is an okay attempt of a time-/purgatory-loop mystery story. It shares a lot of similarities with Time Crimes, but ultimately goes more into the direction of Stay. Camera work and direction are quite good and the cast does an ok job. The effects can be bit cheap at times (the bad CGI of the storm and the approaching Ghost Ship), but that's neglectable.

The whole time loop interaction is done well at first, but ultimately the whole story construct turns out to be inconsistent in the end. The movie can't decide what kind of inner logic it wants to follow.

The most obvious interpretation is that the protagonist Jess has mistreated and killed her autistic Son (and herself?) by accident and is now trapped in a purgatory-loop for eternity (like Sisyphus from ancient Greek mythology, who is mentioned aboard the ghost ship that is named after his father Aeolus, and who is punished for cheating death by having to roll a stone up a hill only to watch it roll down over and over again). This is the interpretation I would deem most likely, but there are a number of contradictions to this in the movie.

Two variations of that interpretation would be, that Jess is in a coma (after the car accident) and this is all a dream, or that she just died, but her soul can't accept that and is dreaming up this endless loop until she can make peace with the death of her son and herself and move on to afterlife.

Another possibility would be, that she is actually in some kind of time-loop, caused by the Bermuda triangle (hence the movie title). The ghost ship Aeolus is a cruise ship from the 1930s. But this seems unlikely, and therefore the title may be disappointingly misleading for some viewers.

A very funny interpretation I found in an online comment, that really made me laugh: The whole loop is a scheme of sea gulls who want to take revenge on Jess for killing one of them with the car and also want countless bodies to pile up on the Aeolon on which they can feed.^^

Now let's get to the inconsistencies:

  • At the end of this incarnation of Jess's loop that we follow through the movie, she has killed her abusive former self and later her son in a car accident. The taxi driver seems to be death/Charon, who offers her to pass over to an afterlife, but she (always) seems to decide to try the loop again, to save her son. But what happened before the very first loop? If the real/original abusive Jess killed herself and her son in that car accident, what sense does the whole boat trip make, since she never experienced that? If only her son died and she went on the trip, how then does she end up in purgatory (the Loop-Jesses on the ship never actually die or kill each other)?


  • Why does Jess lose her memory when completing and resetting the overarching loop, and just keeps a vague déjà vu, while after the loop resets on the Aeolon she can remember everything?


  • What continues to exist and what disappears with each reset of the loops is very inconsistent as well: the 100s of notes, necklaces, bodies of her killed friends and bodies of the sea gulls before the car accident keep piling up. At the same time though, there seem to be only 3-4 parallel Jesses at work on the Aeolon and only one Jess around her house. Shouldn't there be exactly the same number of Jesses as there are bodies and objects? It would make more sense if the objects would reset with each loop.


  • The Aeolon: The first reset of the sub-loop aboard the ship starts with a hanging gramophone record, that seems synched with the looping/stuttering happenings aboard the ship at that moment. Also the clock of Jess is synced with that of the dining hall, but different from that of her friend Greg. In the first loops the food in the dining hall is fresh, later its suddenly rotten. How does this all add up?


  • The behavior of Jess: Why is Jess hiding all the time instead of talking to her friends or the other Jesses? Where does the notion that killing everybody will reset the timeline originally come from? Why does she just accept that and goes on a killing spree?


  • At one time she actually tries to change something and stops the hooded Jess from shooting the couple. That alternate hooded Jess now takes the couple to Room 237 (nice Shining reference btw. and it's also the address of Jess's house) and stabs the guy. His wife escapes only to end up dying on a pile of bodies of former iterations of herself. The problem here: The Jess we follow, never becomes that alternate hooded Jess that she stops, so where does that Jess come from and what happens to her? She also stops the first Jess from killing the guy with the headwound. What happened to him in this alternate loop?


As you can see, this movie really gets you thinking. It's still mostly enjoyable to watch and I would recommend this movie to everyone who loves these kinds of stories. But it isn't as clever as it believes itself to be and can't decide on a consistent inner logic.
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7/10
Good stab at a horror paradox story but unfortunately full of holes
Godsarini30 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
THIS REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS! First off i enjoyed this film, i was gripped right up until the first plot hole and even after that i was hoping to be hit by an epic twist that would reveal that hole as being totally filled. Saddly by the end of the film there are still many holes left gapingly open and I'd like to explain what i thought these holes were, if anyone can explain it to me differently please do!

First off, for the film to work the main character must have no idea of the 'groundhog day like' loop she is stuck in until she sees herself and her friends from the ocean liner for the first time, this makes the ending in which she deliberately restarts the loop from the beginning completely contradictory as she clearly knows what she is getting herself into. I accept this can be partially explained away by just assuming that the main character merely loses her memory sometime between boarding her friends boat and boarding the liner, probably during the storm, could be a symbolic nod to her memories of the loop being 'washed away'.

The future version of the main character (the murderous one who she clips with the shotgun) is an anomaly. The main character never becomes this version of herself, never kills the others with a knife and never battles and ultimately kills this version of herself before throwing her overboard. There is no clue as to how she ever became that evil, other than taking shrapnel to the head :)

I've edited this review a few times as it is incredibly hard to explain exactly what was wrong with the film because its so complicated and makes any explanation hard to follow, believe me when i say there are many other little faults however.

Finally there is the question about the taxi driver at the end, this bit i do understand. When the group first arrive on the ocean liner they talk about a Greek mythical story about a man cursed to forever push a rock up a hill just to see it fall back down again and again, this was apparently a punishment for cheating death. With this in mind the taxi driver is obviously supposed to be death or at least some power responsible for the loop. After the car accident the driver takes her back to the harbour, her intent clearly to try to right the death of her child, however i suspect that her 'curse' may be responsible for removing her memory, again probably during the storm.

If you have understood any of this review then frankly i'm surprised, even if you have seen it :) For those who haven't yet seen the film i hope that this review has simply sparked your curiosity because despite its faults it is still a watch worthy film.
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9/10
One of the best movies of all time
blackjackel16 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS AHEAD, SPOILERS AHEAD! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Many people posted bad reviews for the movie because they think it is full of plot holes, If you are one of these people please send me a private message with your plot holes and I will do my best to explain them to you. Some say the main actress acted irrationally without going into detail as to WHY or HOW, again please message me and I will explain.

I will attempt to explain some of the major "plot holes" that people think this movie has. I copied and pasted some questions word-for-word from a review that I already read which were common amongst other reviews.

Here's a brief transcript in the movie, it is relevant to my explanation:

Come check this out. This is the same ship. This thing's old. Jess. Oome on. Oome on. Here's where we boarded. Oh, yeah. Aeolus. Aeolus was the Greek god of the winds and the father of Sisyphus, the man condemned by the gods to the task of pushing a rock up a mountain and let it see roll back down again. That's a shitty punishment. What did he do? He cheated Death. No, he made a promise to Death that he didn't keep. I studied it but I can't remember.

1) What happen at the end when they got into the car crash, and she's perfectly fine?

She was wearing a seat belt, while her child was in the back seat without a seat belt and therefore died. If you're wondering why she didn't put a seat belt on her child, see explanation of question 3. Sometimes a seat belt is the difference between dying and walking away without a scratch.

2) Why is it that nobody sees her except for the taxi driver?

The taxi driver is death, and he is the reason the loop is happening, if you look at my transcript you'll see that "He cheated death, no, he made a promise to death that he didn't keep". By killing herself and staying alive, she cheated death... Also as she is leaving the taxi, he asks if she'll be black, she says "Yes, I promise", she knows that she can't really be back (as in from the harbor, which is what the taxi driver REALLY asked her), so she made a promise to death that she couldn't keep. If you go re watch the scene where the taxi driver walks up to her for the first time, you will see the colors dim, the movie gets dark, and the music becomes ominous. The taxi driver is death, and this is why he was the only one that can see her.

3) If she remembers everything. She knows exactly why she's going on the sail boat (apparently to go back in time to save her kid), then why is she doing the same thing over and over again?

The loop does not happen the EXACT SAME WAY every time, you can see this by the scene where she discovers the bodies of one of her victims, they are strewn all over the place, indicating that the loop happens differently every time.

Perhaps the last time the loop happened, her child died in a different way, which is why she isn't EVER able to stop her child dying. For example, when she goes to pick up the dead seagull after hitting it, maybe her child opens the door and runs across the freeway, and dies... maybe in other loops its a heart attack... etc.

The only thing wrong with the movie is that she should have been much more paranoid about her child in the end, because she should know that he can die in various ways. Maybe some part of her knows, that, as the taxi driver said "There's nothing anyone can do that's gonna bring him back.", but chooses to continue the loop by going to the harbor because she doesn't care, she would rather live with the faint glimmer that maybe at some point she can save him.
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7/10
For Fans of Timecrimes, This is a Must-See
gavin694218 August 2010
A small boat capsizes in the see and the people aboard must go to a large ship for help. But this ship is empty, with the exception of a lone killer acting out of unexplained motives... and then the plot goes from mundane to bizarre.

This film is written and directed by Christopher Smith, who made a few waves with his 2006 film "Severance". I think this is really going to be his break-out project, so long as enough people catch it. The plot is intelligent and tight, the directing is masterful, and the cast is kept in line.

Melissa George has been praised for this film, and I think that's fair. She has up until now been very second fiddle, and despite good performances in films like "Amityville Horror", never really got her due. This film is it -- she is front and center for the entire running time, showing her most anguished character possible.

There are few problem with this film. It does run a bit long, but not so long that it's unbearable... the first twenty minutes are bland, but it picks up after that. The biggest problem, which is unfortunate, is that this film was released after "Timecrimes"... and there are some similarities, even if minor, and critics will jump on this. But, if anything, this made me enjoy the film more rather than less, because it was like reliving the mindbend that "Timecrimes" gave me.

I completely endorse this film, and strongly recommend it to any horror or suspense fan. You may enjoy the subtle references to "The Shining", or simply the interesting and deep plot. And, at least as I write this (August 2010), the film is an instant play on Netflix, so you do not have to go out of your way to find it.
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9/10
Intriguing Love-or-Hate Mystery Film in the Style of David Lynch
claudio_carvalho28 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
In Florida, Jess (Melissa George) is a mother that raises her autistic son Tommy (Joshua McIvor) alone. Her friend Greg (Michael Dorman) invites her to sail in his yacht on Saturday morning with his friends Victor (Liam Hemsworth), Downey (Henry Nixon) and wife Sally (Rachel Carpani) that unexpectedly brings her friend Heather (Emma Lung). While sailing, out of the blue the wind stops and they a surprised by a storm. The yacht capsizes, Heather vanishes in the sea and they see the old passenger vessel Aeolus that stops and they climb the embarkation ladder. When they reach the main deck, they can not find any passenger or crew onboard. Jess has the sensation of déjà vu and sooner they learn that there is someone hunting them down. Further, Jess discovers that the only way to save the group is killing them all.

A couple of months ago I saw the trailer of "Triangle" and I was looking forward to the release of the DVD. "Triangle" is an intriguing love-or-hate film that follows the style of David Lynch, inclusive with a reference to "Blue Velvet" with the garden water spray nozzle. The story is excellent and the production is detailed with the 1932 riveted ship as it should be. This is the type of story open to interpretation where the viewer shall enjoy and not seek for an ultimate explanation. This is the third film that I see from Christopher Smith and this promising director is improving his work in each film. Melissa George is excellent as usual and the cast has good performances. Last but not the least, Aeolus was the ruler of the winds in Greek mythology. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Triângulo da Morte" ("Triangle of the Death")

Note: On 27 Jan 2014, I saw "Triangle" again on Blu-Ray and now my vote is nine.

The story is based on the the punishment of Sisyphus, condemned to roll an immense rounded rock up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action forever. One of these days, I was watching the Episode 10 "Judgment Night" of the First Season of "The Twilight Zone" and immediately made me clear "Triangle".

Jess is a reckless and abusive single mother that is punished after the car crash where her autistic son and she died, to relive that Saturday forever because of her attitudes. The Reaper (the taxi driver) does not take her to the Final Destination, but leaves her in the limbo (pier) until she becomes a better person in the end of each loop. She had never sailed on the boat when she was alive and the journey of her soul in the boat is part of her punishment.

Unfortunately most of the viewers do not understand this movie due to the lack of knowledge in Greek Mythology. But the movie gives a hint when the castaways reach the ship Aeolus.

Note: On 03 November 2016, I saw this film again.

Note: On 04 May 2019, I saw this film again.
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7/10
Groundhog Day with a vengeance
neil-47621 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
On the grounds that I am going to spoiler this movie totally, I'll start with the summary. It is a psychological suspense / mystery / horror with supernatural and possibly science fiction overtones. Of its sort it isn't bad at all (although there are, for sure, unanswered questions at the end), and I quite enjoyed it.

I'm now going to reveal the entire plot from start to finish so, if you're likely to want to see it and be surprised by its surprises, STOP READING NOW.

Jess (Melissa George) is a single mother to an autistic son. She is invited out sailing with a number of friends, although she seems in a very strange frame of mind. A freak squall capsizes the yacht, but they are picked up by a deserted ocean liner. They are attacked and killed, one by one, by a mystery assailant. Jess is the last one and ends up fighting the assailant who, she discovers, is herself. No sooner has she managed to tip the assailant into the sea then the capsized boat is sighted, she and her friends come on board, and she realises that the cycle is starting again. After trying to break the cycle she realises that it has been going on for quite some time (there is a particularly horrifying revelation which, unfortunately, is given away by the trailer) and that fully embracing her part in it is the only way to get back to her son. On being washed to shore she returns home just before she leaves for the sailing trip. Realising how cruel she is being to her son, she savagely murders her original self, but then crashes her car, killing her son. So, of course, her only way of saving him is to go on the sailing trip...

All this is quite good fun and, if it is all taking place in her head because she is a complete nutjob, then fair enough. However, if the events are supposed to be actual, then the sudden squall and deserted ocean liner need some explaining which they never get. More importantly, Jess actually has sequential continuity of memory except when it doesn't suit the plot (this isn't her first time on the liner, yet it seems only vaguely familiar: other times she remembers exactly what happened earlier). This isn't a fatal flaw, but it slightly spoils what is otherwise a fairly well thought out unspooling of similar and repeated events.

But overall, this is a fun excursion into the weird.
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1/10
Is the protagonist a deranged psychopath?
Ashrafi_Abdoelkarim16 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The only reason the story went like it did is because of the stupid child-abusing protagonist.

Why must she kill everyone? Other than herself saying it to her clone as a dumb excuse? The cycle repeats after everyone dies. So how is killing the way out? She is the SOLE reason everyone keeps dying.

Why doesnt she just show herself to her friends? Maybe a budget issue.

If she was aware of it all even before boarding the sailship, how did she forget?

Why does she do the same exact thing over and over? She could have saved everyone but decides to just watch and see Liam Hemsworth getting skewered like 3 times in a row. She just keeps repeating the very obvious cycle.

That pseudo open ending does not convince me at all, she will just continue being an idiot and never learn.
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9/10
One of the best mysteries lately
bobby_mak25 November 2009
This movie is really amazing. I recommend it a 100%. It plays with your mind from the very beginning until the very end. It just makes you think all the time and even when the credits roll you are left thinking and considering, and I mean that in the good way. Some movies leave you thinking "Why did that happen? It made no sense whatsoever.". Not this. However, in order to understand everything you must really pay attention to all the details, some lines, some specific shots and then I promise, it will all make sense. Of course, if you have someone to discuss it with after it is over, will make things a lot more interesting and engaging. I just want to say that this movie is not a horror and doesn't have any "jump" moments. It is a pure mystery and I am sure that any mystery fan would truly enjoy the experience.

I am not going to give away anything concerning the plot, because this will just spoil the pleasure from all the twists and turns this movie takes you through. This is my advice: Do not read anything about this movie or watch any trailers, before you actually see it. Believe me, it is going to be a lot more fun like this. The story is extremely engaging and the end is very satisfying. New elements are constantly added when you least expect them and the movie actually answers all the questions it asks, or at least provides you with enough clues to solve the puzzles yourself.

Melissa George gives probably her best performance up to date. She really helps a lot in making the movie what it is. She has a great potential in her as an actress and I hope this opens even more doors for her.

All I can say is, see this movie! You will not be disappointed and it will keep you guessing and guessing and then surely make you talk a lot about it. Don't you just love when that happens?
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6/10
Based on Greek mythology
helene-9082217 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Great movie with a never-ending loop of mystery, leaving you with a "wtf is happening" feeling all the time.

Not really any point as such.

Is it supernatural? A break down? Or is it just a multiverse based on the Greek myth that never ends.. No one knows.

You must like movies with no conclusion to enjoy this one! Overall good entertainment 🙂
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4/10
Ummm why?
halfxbreed2320 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Ok, I don't understand why she doesn't reveal herself to her friends?

Does the protagonist "Jess" ever close her mouth?

Why doesn't the friend who has literally CRAWLED over her doppelgangers body give Jess the benefit of the doubt that something strange is happening.

Where did the ramp come from for the car accident? Not how physics work.

Why does she goes through the trouble of trying to explain when she knows what must be done.

Why is autism used as a cheap plot device, that doesn't even further the plot?

Where is the character development? I know nothing about any of them and the lead is one dimensional.

Some of the twist are decent enough but nothing beyond things you've seen before even in 2009. Movie gets tedious with the same scens and has little progression, character or otherwise.

How is this a 6.9?
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Conundrum...
azathothpwiggins16 September 2020
TRIANGLE is a story about regret, remorse, and second chances.

Jess (Melissa George) is on a sailing trip with friends when they encounter a freak storm that overturns their yacht. Jess and company happen upon what appears to be a derelict ship, adrift in the ocean.

Once aboard, it's not long before a murderous frenzy unfolds. This is repeated from various angles and points of view. Sound bizarre? It is! It's also riveting to watch, as pieces of the puzzle fall into place. If you've ever done something that you wish you could undo, fix, or erase completely, then this movie will hit a nerve. Ms. George is the center and circumference of the film. Watch her every move!

A wonderful brain-twister, this!...
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7/10
A lot of hold onto but means well
codybyrns13 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The whole movie is basically an example of the Sisyphus cheating death story that was mentioned by one of the characters earlier in the movie when they are just boarding the ship. Rolling a rock up a hill just for it to come tumbling back down again. We have Jess stuck in a similar loop that always ends in the same way no matter how she goes about it. I rated the movie a seven solely because of the plot holes being captured halfway through the movie. We come to realize that there around three Jess' running around at any giving time. One is usually getting on the boat, another has just knocked off the hooded Jess into the ocean, and the third is kind of observing both acts and has to make decisions in order to conclude the cycle somehow.

From the first time we see Jess come aboard, viewers get to witness both cycles of Jess' decisions as that second Jess. She sometimes chooses to save a character or two and sometimes she doesn't get the chance to. That decision changes Jess #3 in the loop into either a crazy throat slashing Jess or quickly into the masked Jess out for murder in order to see her son.

My explanation into why the story plays out this way goes like this: Jess was in a wreck that killed both her son and her. She gets the opportunity to cross over after her death but chooses to embark on a loop that ultimately allows her to hold her son once more AND teach her former abusive self a lesson. The character playing Death, the cab driver, approaches her after every concluded loop to basically ask her if she is ready to cross over or make the decision to start the loop over again. Death asks her to come back as he "keeps the meter running" but Jess always chooses to regain the loop. My guess is the memory wipe starts as soon as she passes through the entryway to the marina and where she bumps in to Victor for the first time. She doesn't seem to remember Victor which is why I think it all begins again at that point.

Throughout the movie we notice a lot of inconsistencies but the movie still holds strong in a way that leaves your mind going nuts with anticipation. I can not seem to get over the fact that a lot of objects show themselves as multiples in this story (dead bodies stacking up, seagull carcasses, Jess' neckless, etc) but why aren't other things disappearing or being used up as the loops continue? Shotguns, ammunition, the jumpsuit just seem to restock by themselves. The room's mirror seems to wipe clean just so she can write on it again in blood. The bodies she disposes of scene to scene but other things seem to reset on their own. The ending of the movie is also a mystery. It is obvious the movie resets back to the beginning but how are there seagull carcasses being piled up over time but no wrecked cars or the bodies of Jess and her son? Just some interesting things to think about. I apologize to go into so much detail but movies like this get my brain turning. If you think like me you would catch the Sisyphus correlation quite early on ;)
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6/10
Triangle (2009)
SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain30 December 2011
Triangle is a very interesting and worthwhile film. Until it starts repeating itself at nausea. It builds up nice and slow, something that a lot of films are failing to do these days. Something is obviously not quite right before the cast even set-off. Once a deserted ghost ship enters the picture, it all questions and mysteries. The film is very similar to others out there, such as Timecrimes. Once you get the gist of it, you pretty much know how it's going to unfold. It's still a very interesting idea, and is very intriguing to watch. There is some very powerful imagery, such as a large pile of bodies, with a bit twist to them. Certainly a great watch for a bit of suspense and mystery, and it doesn't try and fry your brain too much either.
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8/10
An intelligent and complex mystery-thriller that demands your attention
Magic_Lantern20 October 2009
I went to see Triangle on a whim hoping it might be thrilling, entertaining or fun at least. I love it when a film exceeds your expectations like Triangle did.

Mellissa George stars as the lead in a small cast of young people on a yachting break off the coast of Florida who encounter a mysterious ship with no passengers after their yacht is upturned.

What follows is a complex and superbly written mystery that unfolds at a perfect pace. I spent most of the movie trying to work out what was going on, trying to piece together all the elements of the storyline. Christopher Smith has clearly spent a long time putting this film together with an intricately crafted deal of detail. I was gripped from the moment the yacht capsized.

The lead performance is excellent, superbly holding the plot together; and the supporting cast are more than passable. If you're looking for something a little different and you're happy to pay close attention to detail for an hour and a half, then I can thoroughly recommend Triangle as an original, well written and directed mystery that will keep you guessing until the final scene.

8/10.
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6/10
Intriguing, imperfect mystery-drama
grantss9 April 2023
A group of friends are sailing at sea when their yacht is hit by a massive storm and capsizes. They are picked up by a liner that appears to be largely deserted. One of the friends, Jess, has a strange feeling that she's been here before.

A reasonably intriguing mystery drama. Starts slowly, though it turns out the opening scenes aren't filler but do have a bearing on later developments. From a point though it gets very interesting and exciting as things start to fall into place, or become murkier, depending on your perspective.

The film was set up for a great wrap-up but here it is a bit disappointing, leaving more questions than answers. Still, the middle section is riveting viewing.
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10/10
Brilliant Movie! Don't Miss It!
carlshelley28624 January 2010
Please don't read any reviews before you watch this one. (Even though you're reading now). This movie will take you in at the beginning and will not let you go (even when it's over)! Watch it without any distractions. You will love this hour and a 1/2 journey! I watched it on my laptop with my headphones on....just me and the movie. Awesome....awesome....awesome!

The movie starts out like any other. Friends going out on a sailboat ride. Shortly after the proper introductions there's a mysterious storm. In a matter of minutes they're trapped in raging waters. Then....this journey begins. Don't blink!

Trust me. I will earn my stripes on this review. Watch it!
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7/10
Not what you are expecting
lord_orsum19 March 2024
Given the synopsis and poster, I was expecting a survival horror flick. Maybe something supernatural on the boat picking off the survivors one by one.

This is not what I got. I got something a whole lot weirder, more tightly plotted and interesting.

I cannot explain what happens without spoilers, so I will just say that the film delivers an interesting premise, with enough hints to suggest an explanation (of sorts). There are some very nice twists and imagery in places.

The runtime is quite short, and the pacing is good. The acting is adequate. The special effects budget is clearly limited. The script is what lifts this above average.

Give this film a chance - it is definitely worth it.
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1/10
Help ME break the loop!
l_jacko11 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Honestly, I am pretty speechless having just watched this movie.

THE PLOT.

A trout faced women and her friends are stranded at sea and board an abandoned vessel. Trout face soon finds out this is no normal cruise ships as she begins to see future/past versions of herself from previous "loops". She sets out to frantically PROVE to her friends that she is not crazy but then every time she see's a duplicate version of herself and the opportunity to jump out and say "HEY LOOK, THERE'S TWO OF ME" she decides to run OFF or hide around corners. Eventually in a future loop deciding to just kill everyone, yeah that'll make your point. The entire film DOESN'T work as a paradox because MOST plot points become contradictory mid way through.

The film ends right back at the beginning with trout face weather beaten and traumatized by the events that had just happened/were about to happen again and yet mid way through the film she's completely SHOCKED by everything thats happening as if she has no clue!

For me a real mind twister is a film that can present an irrational situation in a VERY rational way. I am not lacking in imagination but it's difficult to become a part of the fantasy when the story is tripping itself up every second with an irrational and infuriating protagonist.

There are other films that deal with these themes in a much better way, I'd recommend Donnie Darko, LOST, The butterfly effect, Groundhog Day, and Cube: Hypercube. Even "Time Cop" deals with these themes better than this film and thats a steaming pile of c***!
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9/10
A truly great, complex film.
Sleepin_Dragon26 September 2016
What an absolute gem of a movie Triangle is, it seemed to go very much under the radar, which was a huge shame, as it really is a clever, intriguing film that crosses several genres, thriller, horror, action etc.

A fantastic lead performance from the wonderful Melissa George, she is capable and charismatic enough to add a huge energy into the character, given something different to each 'version' of Jess. She's a brilliant actress.

On first watch you come away completely perplexed, but wonderfully entertained, this is a very cleverly crafted movie, which looks so good, and moves along at a great pace. Some hugely powerful imagery, Sally's death scene, and discovery of her 'other' selves is a very haunting moment. I also thought the arrival of the storm looked fantastic too.

Considering this was made as it were on the cheap, it's a quality film. 9/10.
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7/10
A puzzle with missing pieces
DavCastaneda2 June 2020
Regardless of the plot holes, it is an interesting and entertaining movie that never lets go the hand of the audience.

It could be slowed down in some point, and a little predictable, but after all you stay in your chair, completely absorbed.

A generic modern thriller, but still pretty good.
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1/10
Absolutely a waste of your night
shanelmcg29 June 2010
This film is not worth any of your time, let me start with that. I rented this from Red Box, thinking it might be a fun twist on the Bermuda Triangle or at least and entertaining B horror film...sadly I was wrong on both counts.

The film starts out decently, with most of the cast giving very believable performances...save for the lead who seems to almost never change her initial "I'm on too many painkillers" expression.

As the story finally hits its 2nd act it degrades into something that only really resembles swiss cheese. The amount of holes in this film are unbearable and ultimately any intelligent movie viewer will just feel stupid for trying to find any logic in the main characters actions or dilemma. I wont go through any details as calling them spoilers are worthless...the film makes no sense and relies completely on the characters simply being stupid.

I felt I needed to add a review because I really don't understand how this film has even a few good reviews....did you all even see the same film? Its an interesting concept for sure, but is just so poorly thought out and terribly written. Trust me on this. I'm not a hater, the film is legitimate crap recycled over and over until a climax that makes no sense with its supposed cyclical beginning. AVOID AS BEST YOU CAN!!!
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