Shallow Grave
"A starkly riveting little thriller!" - San Francisco Examiner
Three friends push the boundaries of trust in this "hermetically sealed shocker" (Los Angeles Times) from the creators of Trainspotting. Starring Kerry Fox (The Hanging Garden), Christopher Eccleston (Elizabeth) and Ewan McGregor (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), Shallow Grave is a "masterpiece of terror" (Movieline), "riddled with hairpin turns" (Boxoffice) that takes you on a fantastic ride to the lowest depths of human nature.
Juliet (Fox), David (Eccleston) and Alex (McGregor) find that their new reclusive roomate has not left the bedroom for days. After kicking in the door they discover his drug over-dosed corpse...and a suitcase full of money! Fatefully choosing to keep the money, they know they have to get rid of the remains. But the body won't stay buried and a careless trail from the shallow grave leads the police -- and two money-hungry thugs -- back to the trio. And as the stakes get higher, so does the body count, not to mention their paranoia which is quickly putting their friendships in jeopardy...forever!
Member Reviews
Odd but worth a look - ronburgundy
I saw this movie back in the day and remember enjoying it as I am a big fan of Trainspotting. It certainly doesn't have the same appeal as I found it slow at times and not a movie you would enjoy over and over again as I do with Trainspotting. The move does climax in an "interesting" way. You find it difficult to cheer for any of these despicable characters. You find yourself liking the Trainspotting gang despite their moral fibre.Glimpses of the greatness to come from Danny Boyle - prettyh
I saw this film before "Trainspotting" came out, so I had no clue who this Ewan McGregor fellow was, or what sort of director Danny Boyle would turn out to be. "Shallow Grave" is a great enough film to have sealed the deal for me: I have sought out his work (and have, for the most part, loved it!) ever since.
You've already read vague bits about the plot, I'm sure - three roommates and best friends are inseparable until a dead man's suitcase full of money causes not only friction and paranoia but also potential for violence, as they each struggle with the morality of what to do. Call the cops and return it? Live the high life? And as David (Eccleston) says at one point about a camcorder, "Yes, you PAID five hundred quid for it, but we don't know what the COST to US will be yet." Eerie foreshadowing, there. And that is where the fun...and fear...all begin.
What follows is a story that manages to ratchet up the tension at a furious pace. The whole film fits into just over 90 minutes, and it is very impressive to see how effectively the entire mood changes as these three roommates begin doubting each other, themselves, their neighbours, the police, and the occasional unfamiliar car parked outside their Edinburgh flat... The fun and hijinx are brought to a screeching halt, and the rest of the film stays taut, never tipping its hand to let you know what might happen the next time someone comes to their door.
If you've seen and enjoyed Boyle's more recent works (28 Days Later, Millions, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours...and especially Trainspotting, as you'll see a LOT of familiar faces who got their start here), go back to this one to see where his true style came to be. It's a fantastic thriller, managing to be laugh-out-loud funny in places (the three leads are fabulous, particularly McGregor and Eccleston) and then turning very, very dark on you without warning.
And I must say...the ending alone is worth the ride.Good ... but not as satisfying as Trainspotting - sinic
I remember watching Trainspotting years ago and remember thinking how brilliant it was when it came out. I decided to watch it again a few weeks ago and I love how well it has held up in the 12 years it was made. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to watch Shallow Grave hoping for the same experience from director Danny Boyle. What I got was a movie that looked like a warm up shoot for the much better Trainspotting.
That is not to say that Shallow Grave isn't a good film. It is quite good. The dialogue and characters are fantastic (though I did find myself wanting to punch Ewan McGregor thoughout the first hour of the film). For me it just felt a little empty and imcomplete. The "lesson" is pretty good and the ending unexpected, but there is just something that doesn't quite come together.
Maybe it is unfair to critize a film based on the the fact that a movie that came out two years later was so much better, but the themes aren't really all that dissimilar and they pretty much follow the same basic mold.
I would say that if you haven't seen either film, check out Shallow Grave first and then watch Trainspotting. I think that watching them in the reverse order makes Shallow Grave appear a little more ... ahem ... shallow.
Member Reviews
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Odd but worth a look - ronburgundy
I saw this movie back in the day and remember enjoying it as I am a big fan of Trainspotting. It certainly doesn't have the same appeal as I found it slow at times and not a movie you would enjoy over and over again as I do with Trainspotting. The move does ...Glimpses of the greatness to come from Danny Boyle - prettyh
I saw this film before "Trainspotting" came out, so I had no clue who this Ewan McGregor fellow was, or what sort of director Danny Boyle would turn out to be. "Shallow Grave" is a great enough film to have sealed the deal for me: I have sought out his work ...Good ... but not as satisfying as Trainspotting - sinic
I remember watching Trainspotting years ago and remember thinking how brilliant it was when it came out. I decided to watch it again a few weeks ago and I love how well it has held up in the 12 years it was made. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to watch ...