countdown

review by cian lynch

Countdown is a horror packed with tropes and clichés, yet it is still an entertaining film. It follows Quinn Harris (Elizabeth Lail), a young quiet nurse who downloads an app named ‘Countdown’ which shows a live countdown to the user’s death. Sadly for Quinn, she apparently doesn’t have long left to live. As she finds out, using this information about her impending doom to try and protect herself results in a nightmarish cat and mouse game with the film’s antagonist, a demon named Ozhin. 

The idea of knowing that your death is imminent isn’t new to films, in fact, an entire franchise was built upon the idea with the Final Destination series. Writer and director Justin Dec was clearly inspired by the franchise. The film has the ability to invoke a constant state of anxiety in the viewer as red herrings pop up continuously until the real danger presents itself. There’s even an apparent homage in Countdown to THAT infamous bus scene from the first Final Destination film. The modern spin of having a literal countdown to death on your phone does make for an interesting idea, but any originality this film had is soiled by cringe-worthy writing and boring clichés. 

The character of Matt Monroe (Jordan Calloway) is introduced halfway through the film’s 90 minute runtime. He is one of the most boring horror film characters in recent memory. It feels as though a love interest is introduced for no other reason than the fact that romantic subplots seem to be the norm in many modern horror films. The character of Quinn is interesting and complex - a kind and compassionate nurse struggling with the death of her mother and who is objected to sexual harassment in the form of the creepy Dr. Sullivan (Peter Facinelli). Yet any sense of character development is muffled by the introduction of an unnecessary male protagonist. The film becomes about two young adults in love fighting off a demon together, rather than about a struggling young woman who must overcome her self-blame for her mother’s death while playing a cat and mouse game with the evil spirit. When Quinn must confront her demons at the end of the film, it is not as impactful as the focus has been taken off her and you are left feeling detached from her clumsy character arc. 

However, Countdown is still a lot of fun and is surprisingly hilarious. Many of the minor characters add a touch of humour that is crucial to that over-the-top, goofy tone. There is never a dull moment and some of the scares are truly terrifying. The premise of the film is introduced within its first few seconds, and they waste no time in bringing the audience on a terrifying run from death. Overall, this is a film that you can sit down and enjoy with some friends without having to pay much attention. It has moments of genuine terror, but any sense of depth is removed by cheap jumpscares and inconsistent CGI.

Countdown is currently screening in theatres around Ireland.