PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Continuing our coverage of the Horror-On-Sea 2023 Film Festival, we had the opportunity to check out the twisted and wicked horror thriller, Tales From the Great War. Check out what we thought about the film.
But first? The trailer!
Tales from the Great War (2023) Synopsis
The lives of four British soldiers hauntingly intersect in a nighttime raid of a deserted German trench during the First World War.
Tales from the Great War is a 2023 thriller written and directed by Andrew Elias (The Numbers 2018, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023). It stars Annabella Rich (Acting 2020, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023), Martin W. Payne ( Mask of the Devil 2022,Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023), Andrew Elias, Terrance Mountain (The Saint 1962, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 1969), Kemal Yildirim ( Mask of the Devil 2022, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023), and Tessa Wood (A Killer Next Door 2020, Mother & Wild 2022).
It also stars Peter Tilley (Casting Kill 2023, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023), Thomas Lee Rutter (Day of the Stranger 2020, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023), Michael Fausti (Exit 2020, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023), Singh Lall (Hacker: Trust No One 2021, Video Shop Tales of Terror 2023), Alex Nathan-Woods (Last Word 2015, Mask of the Devil 2022), and Raphael von Blumenthal (Brooklyn 2015, Two Is a Family 2016).
War Is Hell
This is an exciting, eerie, excellently produced piece of film. It’s engaging and entertaining with some really cool costumes and some fantastic sets. The makeup is great and the special effects are superb, although a tad comical in some parts. Still, they’re effective and frightening nonetheless.
The acting is great and the editing is very well done. The music is tense and the story is both mysterious and intriguing, reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Also, aside from a few hiccups, the pacing is terrific and flows really well.
There’s some seriously gorgeous camera work in this, along with some incredible, inspiring cinematography. The dialogue could use some punching up, but other than that, everything felt real, authentic, and of the era. It’s intriguing, enthralling, and alluring.
Really, the only negatives about the film are that it’s a little tough to follow in parts, and the runtime is shorter than one would prefer. It just feels like there’s more to the film than viewers are privy to, and it would be nice to have seen it receive a longer treatment. Regardless, it’s enticing, haunting, and diabolical.
Final Thoughts
Tales from the Great War is dark, gritty, and bold. It’s brazen, savage, and one terrifying night in the trenches. If you like unorthodox wartime horror films, then definitely give this one a go. It’s one hell of a devilishly good time.
Be sure to check out our other Horror-On-Sea 2023 Film Festival reviews, including 4 halloween, Pig Killer, Freeze, and Mask of the Devil!
