I began watching this film with the lowest expectations possible. It looks like just another supernatural horror story in which `evil' is that what you cannot see. Films like this are always set in abandoned places an oil-rig this time where a group of people gets attacked by higher forces. This kind of movies are a trend nowadays, certainly in Britain, as there are multiple similar movies like it such as `Below', `The Bunker' and `Deathwatch'. Generally speaking, these films try to be more intelligent than they actually are and the plots twist and turn so much that it becomes pitiful. Ghost Rig (the slightly less goofy a.k.a for the Devil's Tattoo) fits perfectly in this category, only it receives a little more sympathy from me, since it's a modest and slightly creative production. A group of environmental activists occupy an oil-rig and to their surprise, the whole place is entirely deserted. It seems like the workmen have simply vanished. Fear increases as the activists surprise surprise start to die as well. The place seems to be possessed by the presence of pure evil and it goes from body to body, using the activists as hosts. There are constant good efforts to build up a claustrophobic tension and, despite of a few obvious holes, the script is rather solid. The ending is really good and made me appreciate the entire film a lot more. As far as I'm concerned
Ghost Rig is okay, but I've seen it by now! It could have used more excitement and a generally better character study. I sincerely hope scriptwriters will stop portraying evil as being invisible and exclusively supernatural in the future
they're not scaring anybody.
18 Reviews
Come on
bookworm13175 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
After reading the other comments on this movie, I think people were a little hard on it. I actually enjoyed it. Sure it was not fantastic and it was low-budget but I thought the idea was good. I disagree with whoever said that it was identical to Ghost Ship. That is one of my favorite horror movies of all time, and I see few correlations (except the title of course).
I don't profess to be any horror movie expert, but I hadn't seen anything like this before. Sure the acting was less than good, and I agree that the cinematography was atrocious, but the movie was at least worth a few good chills, if nothing else.
So in all, give these guys a break, the movie wasn't that bad.
I don't profess to be any horror movie expert, but I hadn't seen anything like this before. Sure the acting was less than good, and I agree that the cinematography was atrocious, but the movie was at least worth a few good chills, if nothing else.
So in all, give these guys a break, the movie wasn't that bad.
Ghost Rig
Scarecrow-8828 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
My name is Legion—and we are many.
An environmental group called Action Planet board an oil rig(Janus)by means to protest drilling, expecting to find four or five maintenance workers who were to leave on a helicopter but are nowhere to be found. What they will discover is something far more sinister. One among the group is actually a "spy", not a "tree hugger", in fact he's caught communicating across a radio (although his transmission may have not met any outside group he hoped to contact) and is bound/tied. With a non-functioning generator not working(an emergency generator lights a few rooms but not the entire rig), the result being a mostly darkened rig creating an ominous mood among those on board who, once someone is found murdered, begin to desire to exit stage left. Crawford, stuck in a wheel chair, was once a rig worker who was hurt in an accident, now part of Action Planet, with an understanding for the inner workings of the Janus. Vincent, the leader, has a gun and is very adamant about broadcasting their message across the airwaves for those who drill to hear. Let's just say that things don't exactly go according to plan. Mole is the paranoid member of Action Planet, quite a scaredy-cat, wants off the rig and is very vocal about it, his voice quivering when he talks. Tom is the spy whose purpose is uncertain. Iona, Annie, and Sophie are the girls on board (Sophie, the medic). Kay (or so it appears to be him on the monitor) goes berserk, attacking someone and the radio with a hammer seemingly for no reason. Morale deteriorates, tensions rise, and bickering ensues. Vincent had been holding a secret from the others—a quarantine had taken place on the rig, but is this just a rumor or legitimate? There's some sort of markings on the floor of one of the rooms, in chalk and of the occult. Perhaps this could explain the odd occurrences which have begun to emerge. Will picks up an ax and starts destroying a door to get at Annie. Why members of the team are acting this way is puzzling, to say the least. What's more, the corpses of those killed begin to heal of their wounds! I think GHOST RIG works off the bizarre events which transpire, unpredictable and strange(characters behaving oddly, bodies of those killed healing, abrupt violence erupting out of the blue, etc), and the setting is interesting(an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, seemingly abandoned, yet housing an evil presence which will slowly decrease the numbers in the cast). Essentially, GHOST RIG is an old-fashioned chiller, something menacing awaits characters who are trapped on board the rig, and the location is loaded with dark corridors, empty rooms, rusty pipes, steel and steam. A monstrous voice emerges from those "possessed" that might help the crew understand what the hell is going on, and a camcorder with a tape that captures a "ceremony" near a rotted corpse could also lend a hand. A book and the chalked circle could be the answer to everything. Basically, GHOST RIG uses the body snatcher plot, the evil moves from one body to the next as each victim is murdered. If you like this oft-used plot device, then maybe GHOST RIG is your cuppa java. The real problem I have with the plot as it unfolds is the evil behind the horror, if it is "Legion", you'd think those possessed would be a bit more ferocious and vicious. Instead, the evil is more like Satan, cunning and deceitful. The end result—where one of the crew unveils their true motives behind boarding the rig—may be a bit disappointing or intriguing depending on how you like the occult angle. There's a blood test right out of THE THING to accompany the borrowed Body Snatcher plot, not to mention, THE DEVIL'S BRIDE is even lifted from(regarding the "stay within the circle" idea).
An environmental group called Action Planet board an oil rig(Janus)by means to protest drilling, expecting to find four or five maintenance workers who were to leave on a helicopter but are nowhere to be found. What they will discover is something far more sinister. One among the group is actually a "spy", not a "tree hugger", in fact he's caught communicating across a radio (although his transmission may have not met any outside group he hoped to contact) and is bound/tied. With a non-functioning generator not working(an emergency generator lights a few rooms but not the entire rig), the result being a mostly darkened rig creating an ominous mood among those on board who, once someone is found murdered, begin to desire to exit stage left. Crawford, stuck in a wheel chair, was once a rig worker who was hurt in an accident, now part of Action Planet, with an understanding for the inner workings of the Janus. Vincent, the leader, has a gun and is very adamant about broadcasting their message across the airwaves for those who drill to hear. Let's just say that things don't exactly go according to plan. Mole is the paranoid member of Action Planet, quite a scaredy-cat, wants off the rig and is very vocal about it, his voice quivering when he talks. Tom is the spy whose purpose is uncertain. Iona, Annie, and Sophie are the girls on board (Sophie, the medic). Kay (or so it appears to be him on the monitor) goes berserk, attacking someone and the radio with a hammer seemingly for no reason. Morale deteriorates, tensions rise, and bickering ensues. Vincent had been holding a secret from the others—a quarantine had taken place on the rig, but is this just a rumor or legitimate? There's some sort of markings on the floor of one of the rooms, in chalk and of the occult. Perhaps this could explain the odd occurrences which have begun to emerge. Will picks up an ax and starts destroying a door to get at Annie. Why members of the team are acting this way is puzzling, to say the least. What's more, the corpses of those killed begin to heal of their wounds! I think GHOST RIG works off the bizarre events which transpire, unpredictable and strange(characters behaving oddly, bodies of those killed healing, abrupt violence erupting out of the blue, etc), and the setting is interesting(an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, seemingly abandoned, yet housing an evil presence which will slowly decrease the numbers in the cast). Essentially, GHOST RIG is an old-fashioned chiller, something menacing awaits characters who are trapped on board the rig, and the location is loaded with dark corridors, empty rooms, rusty pipes, steel and steam. A monstrous voice emerges from those "possessed" that might help the crew understand what the hell is going on, and a camcorder with a tape that captures a "ceremony" near a rotted corpse could also lend a hand. A book and the chalked circle could be the answer to everything. Basically, GHOST RIG uses the body snatcher plot, the evil moves from one body to the next as each victim is murdered. If you like this oft-used plot device, then maybe GHOST RIG is your cuppa java. The real problem I have with the plot as it unfolds is the evil behind the horror, if it is "Legion", you'd think those possessed would be a bit more ferocious and vicious. Instead, the evil is more like Satan, cunning and deceitful. The end result—where one of the crew unveils their true motives behind boarding the rig—may be a bit disappointing or intriguing depending on how you like the occult angle. There's a blood test right out of THE THING to accompany the borrowed Body Snatcher plot, not to mention, THE DEVIL'S BRIDE is even lifted from(regarding the "stay within the circle" idea).
Going nowhere fast.
Tsingiska30 December 2003
A small group of environmental activists land on and take over an oil rig that seems to have been left vacant. No crew members can be found, but odd things start to happen nonetheless. Sound familiar? It should, as the same formula has been used in horror movies before, over and over. Isolation, internal conflicts between crew members...'Alien' turned it into a franchise, and 'Ghost Ship' wasn't half bad either. This low-budget Brit flick however is no 'Alien'.
You can tell it's director Julian Kean's first time on the wheel of a project of this magnitude. The camera work is simple, minimal. Short clips of the crew keeping a video journal try to establish a documentary-like feel, adding a sense of realism...or trying to, anyway. The acting is for the most part actually surprisingly good. However, where the movie is really lacking, is the writing. There's no credible dialogue, and while the movie takes forever to really get going, there isn't enough character development or emphasis on any one event to actually provide the audience with an interest in what is happening. Nothing happens at first, then a lot happens at once, and you are left wondering what the point was.
There's serious effort here, especially from the cast, but the material they are working with just doesn't amount to much.
You can tell it's director Julian Kean's first time on the wheel of a project of this magnitude. The camera work is simple, minimal. Short clips of the crew keeping a video journal try to establish a documentary-like feel, adding a sense of realism...or trying to, anyway. The acting is for the most part actually surprisingly good. However, where the movie is really lacking, is the writing. There's no credible dialogue, and while the movie takes forever to really get going, there isn't enough character development or emphasis on any one event to actually provide the audience with an interest in what is happening. Nothing happens at first, then a lot happens at once, and you are left wondering what the point was.
There's serious effort here, especially from the cast, but the material they are working with just doesn't amount to much.
Unwatchable Rubbish
robertconnor17 March 2008
A group of eco-warriors occupy a disused oil rig scheduled for demolition. It's not long before murder and madness erupts...
A great idea rendered unwatchable by a cast of dummies and a script seemingly written by a ten year old. Once again, the producers and director have opted for pretty or handsome faces instead of talented actors. Good actors can usually make something of bad scripts, but bad actors always fail... Worst of a bad bunch is Jaason Simmons who gives a performance of such shocking ineptitude I got the uncontrollable giggles every time he spoke, whilst other cast members are forced to repeat cheesy lines like 'I've got a really bad feeling about this' again and again. Unwatchable tosh of the worst kind.
A great idea rendered unwatchable by a cast of dummies and a script seemingly written by a ten year old. Once again, the producers and director have opted for pretty or handsome faces instead of talented actors. Good actors can usually make something of bad scripts, but bad actors always fail... Worst of a bad bunch is Jaason Simmons who gives a performance of such shocking ineptitude I got the uncontrollable giggles every time he spoke, whilst other cast members are forced to repeat cheesy lines like 'I've got a really bad feeling about this' again and again. Unwatchable tosh of the worst kind.
This movie stinks worse than a proctologist's fingers.
myzyri3 July 2004
The camera-work on this movie was scarier than the "horror" movie itself. I have no doubt that the Mini DV camcorder they show in the movie is one of the cameras the movie was filmed with. The computer graphics (two very short scenes with the helicopter) resembled the graphics from old Atari video games. Beyond this, the acting was pathetic. I've seen better acting in kindergarten plays at the local grammar school. The movie opened with a very boring sequence and the progression of the plot didn't begin until the middle of the movie. The subsequent un-entertaining deaths were expected, the "monster's" actions were predictable, and the rest of the movie was dull. The last 45 seconds of the movie was interesting in that it ties everything together; however, it was also predictable (if you were coherent enough to pay attention). All in all, the best part of the movie is arguable, so I'll tell you my two favorite parts. My first favorite part was the DVD menu because it didn't include the lousy acting and remedial camera-work. My second favorite part was the credits because it let me know that it was the conclusion of this abomination to the film industry.
Bland, boring and features very little good moments
slayrrr66618 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
"Ghost Rig" is an exceedingly frustrating and dull body-possession story.
**SPOILERS**
Arriving at a drilling rig, activists Tom, (Jaime Bamber) Vincent, (Jaason Simmons) Annie, (Kerry Norton) Iona, (Heather Peace) Will, (Bryan Carney) Eric, (Rory McCann) Kay, (Richard Norton) Sophie, (Juliet Diamond) and Mole, (David Rae) along with ex-worker Crawford, (Noel Fitzpatrick) prepare to stop it from being sunk into the sea to turn it into a reef. Going about their jobs, they find the supposedly-manned building abandoned and completely empty, which allows them to do their job. After a number of accidents and strange events on-board, they start to think something's wrong, and when dead bodies start turning up, they become even more nervous about what's going on. Finally realizing that the viral outbreak which caused it to become abandoned to begin with has turned them all into psychotic maniacs as it jumps from person to person, they must find a way to get out of the situation alive.
The Good News: There was some good stuff to this one at times. One of the better elements is the film's location, which is quite suitable for this kind of film. It's got a perfect type of placement, with the cold concrete feel of the place looking quite spectacular and offering up a claustrophobic placement that settles in really well with several other big parts, including the exceptionally long, darkened hallways, twisting and distorted layout, completely confusing rooms and more which are just perfectly mixed with how the film builds it's scares because there's a series of creepy scenes set in a great location. These scares aren't that bad, with the film's rather fun series of encounters here from the possessed beings attacking everybody, which are some of the best parts to this one. The attack on the monitors with the hammer is absolutely spectacular and brutal, and done through the security camera is a great touch that really makes it quite fun. There's a big attack while the group is stuck inside a protective pentagram, which has a lot of rather big parts about it, from the suspense of who's who, the surprise when it's revealed who, and from the final moment of pure chaos, it makes for an overall satisfying sequence. The last plus is the finale, which has a lot to like. From the gory double murders to the outright spectacular twist that makes for some fantastic back-tracking in the plot, this one ends on a high-note. These here are what work for the film.
The Bad News: There was a couple points in here that really brought this one down. One of the main factors is the fact that this one just doesn't have a fast-enough pace to sustain it's suspense-packed story. This one would definitely go over better had this one picked up the pace and threw some adrenaline into the proceedings, as this one tends to feel so much longer than it should due to the fact that the film is so dreary that just about any excitement to be pulled from this will just be sucked out completely. The sad fact is that there's plenty of potential for this one to rise above and actually get going, due to it's really fun premise, but it never capitalizes and doesn't really have that one big scene that really pushes the film over-the-edge. That is really exacerbated by the fact that this one doesn't have much of anything happening beyond the aforementioned scenes, leading this one to have just endless scene after scene of the group running around the rig simply yelling about the situation to each other, which isn't all that much fin to sit through. This is just utterly boring to go through and it makes for some really slow-going scenes, which when mixed with the overall slow-burning pace of everything makes this one such a downer that there's not much it can do about it. Also not working out right is the fact that this one manages to rip-off a quite famous scene from a classic in the blood-testing scene, which should really give it away and it ends up being quite unneeded in the film. The last flaw to this one is the fact that this one doesn't really have any answers for what it's strange accident really is. There's nothing about what it really is or how it got there, and the bit about it entering through the bites is all that's known. These here are what's wrong with this one.
The Final Verdict: It's not that this is all that bad of a film, it's just filled with too many scenes that take it down, severely bringing this one down. Really only recommended to those who enjoy these kind of films or find them interesting, while those that will be turned off by the flaws should heed caution.
Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence
**SPOILERS**
Arriving at a drilling rig, activists Tom, (Jaime Bamber) Vincent, (Jaason Simmons) Annie, (Kerry Norton) Iona, (Heather Peace) Will, (Bryan Carney) Eric, (Rory McCann) Kay, (Richard Norton) Sophie, (Juliet Diamond) and Mole, (David Rae) along with ex-worker Crawford, (Noel Fitzpatrick) prepare to stop it from being sunk into the sea to turn it into a reef. Going about their jobs, they find the supposedly-manned building abandoned and completely empty, which allows them to do their job. After a number of accidents and strange events on-board, they start to think something's wrong, and when dead bodies start turning up, they become even more nervous about what's going on. Finally realizing that the viral outbreak which caused it to become abandoned to begin with has turned them all into psychotic maniacs as it jumps from person to person, they must find a way to get out of the situation alive.
The Good News: There was some good stuff to this one at times. One of the better elements is the film's location, which is quite suitable for this kind of film. It's got a perfect type of placement, with the cold concrete feel of the place looking quite spectacular and offering up a claustrophobic placement that settles in really well with several other big parts, including the exceptionally long, darkened hallways, twisting and distorted layout, completely confusing rooms and more which are just perfectly mixed with how the film builds it's scares because there's a series of creepy scenes set in a great location. These scares aren't that bad, with the film's rather fun series of encounters here from the possessed beings attacking everybody, which are some of the best parts to this one. The attack on the monitors with the hammer is absolutely spectacular and brutal, and done through the security camera is a great touch that really makes it quite fun. There's a big attack while the group is stuck inside a protective pentagram, which has a lot of rather big parts about it, from the suspense of who's who, the surprise when it's revealed who, and from the final moment of pure chaos, it makes for an overall satisfying sequence. The last plus is the finale, which has a lot to like. From the gory double murders to the outright spectacular twist that makes for some fantastic back-tracking in the plot, this one ends on a high-note. These here are what work for the film.
The Bad News: There was a couple points in here that really brought this one down. One of the main factors is the fact that this one just doesn't have a fast-enough pace to sustain it's suspense-packed story. This one would definitely go over better had this one picked up the pace and threw some adrenaline into the proceedings, as this one tends to feel so much longer than it should due to the fact that the film is so dreary that just about any excitement to be pulled from this will just be sucked out completely. The sad fact is that there's plenty of potential for this one to rise above and actually get going, due to it's really fun premise, but it never capitalizes and doesn't really have that one big scene that really pushes the film over-the-edge. That is really exacerbated by the fact that this one doesn't have much of anything happening beyond the aforementioned scenes, leading this one to have just endless scene after scene of the group running around the rig simply yelling about the situation to each other, which isn't all that much fin to sit through. This is just utterly boring to go through and it makes for some really slow-going scenes, which when mixed with the overall slow-burning pace of everything makes this one such a downer that there's not much it can do about it. Also not working out right is the fact that this one manages to rip-off a quite famous scene from a classic in the blood-testing scene, which should really give it away and it ends up being quite unneeded in the film. The last flaw to this one is the fact that this one doesn't really have any answers for what it's strange accident really is. There's nothing about what it really is or how it got there, and the bit about it entering through the bites is all that's known. These here are what's wrong with this one.
The Final Verdict: It's not that this is all that bad of a film, it's just filled with too many scenes that take it down, severely bringing this one down. Really only recommended to those who enjoy these kind of films or find them interesting, while those that will be turned off by the flaws should heed caution.
Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence
Daft green horror
neil-douglas20104 February 2023
I wasn't expecting much from this horror set upon an oil rig, a decent ending would've helped. A group of activists set foot on an oil rig in the North Sea and plan to film what they are doing. They find no crew on the oil rig which is a bit strange. The activists start getting picked off one by one by a mysterious body shifter, once the kill someone they take over that persons body. It's been done before and better, but it's not a total turkey. The problem is all the characters are a bit bland, we've got the paranoid ones, the annoying ones and the shouty females. Once we get to the end we're not really bothered which is a nono for any type of film.
Not bad, just not good... MAJOR SPOILER
AndyVanScoyoc20 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I went in with low expectations for this film. I've NEVER been happy with "Sea Horror" films, except JAWS and usually, paranormal movies are the absolute worst.
This one was a million times better than Ghost Ship (not saying much) but I'm still confused.
Why did Crawford kill Tom when he knew everything anyway? Did he have plans to unleash the evil elsewhere, did he control it to begin with?
Just nonsense, not well plotted, executed or performed. But...most of the men were HOT, so that was a redeeming factor.
Made watching this, a LOT easier.
This one was a million times better than Ghost Ship (not saying much) but I'm still confused.
Why did Crawford kill Tom when he knew everything anyway? Did he have plans to unleash the evil elsewhere, did he control it to begin with?
Just nonsense, not well plotted, executed or performed. But...most of the men were HOT, so that was a redeeming factor.
Made watching this, a LOT easier.
Better than average B Horror
Soju King8 April 2006
Pay no attention to the stupid ramblings of myzyri who could only lecture about the poor acting and low budget graphics. If, like myzyri, you'd rather have a Hollywood big budgeted, tons of graphics crapfest like The Haunting, then by all means skip past this one. But if you enjoy indie films made for the genre rather than filling the studios coffers, then give this one a try.
The Devil's Tattoo borrows much from John Carpenter's The Thing but it adds a supernatural twist to keep things interesting. Neither the cast nor crew will win any Oscars, but who really cares? These kinds of movies are about cheap thrills and keeping things interesting for 90 minutes and this film delivers on both fronts. A very pleasant surprise that only the most cynical or arrogant (myzyri) of silly fanboys won't enjoy.
The Devil's Tattoo borrows much from John Carpenter's The Thing but it adds a supernatural twist to keep things interesting. Neither the cast nor crew will win any Oscars, but who really cares? These kinds of movies are about cheap thrills and keeping things interesting for 90 minutes and this film delivers on both fronts. A very pleasant surprise that only the most cynical or arrogant (myzyri) of silly fanboys won't enjoy.
I don't like it here
nogodnomasters19 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A group of environmental whiners occupy an abandoned rig in hopes of preventing it from being toppled over to make an artificial reef which would be bad for...the fish? Okay I'm still working on that one. Due to weather concerns, their helicopter leaves them stranded there on a rig with no lights and a missing crew (it would just be a skeleton crew anyway).
When Eric (Rory McCann) dies from a steroid heart attack, or maybe murder, some in the group want to abandon project "Occupy Abandoned Rig." Vincent (Jaason Simmons) the unlikeable leader of the group doesn't want to let a death or two get in the way of this world saving occupation.
Then the ghosts show up...well no. There are no ghosts on ghost rig. But if there were, I am sure they would be blue and scary like the DVD cover. The most shocking aspect of this film was the fact they made a sequel.
Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.
When Eric (Rory McCann) dies from a steroid heart attack, or maybe murder, some in the group want to abandon project "Occupy Abandoned Rig." Vincent (Jaason Simmons) the unlikeable leader of the group doesn't want to let a death or two get in the way of this world saving occupation.
Then the ghosts show up...well no. There are no ghosts on ghost rig. But if there were, I am sure they would be blue and scary like the DVD cover. The most shocking aspect of this film was the fact they made a sequel.
Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.
I went into this movie looking for cheese
warrenhlewis13 August 2003
Honestly, I picked this up with hopes of it being entertaining but fully expecting a lame movie. Not a lot of decent horror flicks anymore, so I usually will reach further with that particular genre.
Anywho, this film was a pleasant surprise. The story seems a bit on shaky ground in the beginning but picks up steam for a good second half of the movie. No spoilers here, but I was definitely intrigued by the ending. Quite an interesting turn.
The acting was fair to middlin' with no one giving a particularly memorable role but none sinking the rig, so to speak. Have to give mad props to the writer for naming the enviros Action Planet. No worries about trademark infringement there.
Ok so this movie definitely wasn't great. I do recommend on the basis of if you're looking for a decent movie that finishes strong give it a shot.
Anywho, this film was a pleasant surprise. The story seems a bit on shaky ground in the beginning but picks up steam for a good second half of the movie. No spoilers here, but I was definitely intrigued by the ending. Quite an interesting turn.
The acting was fair to middlin' with no one giving a particularly memorable role but none sinking the rig, so to speak. Have to give mad props to the writer for naming the enviros Action Planet. No worries about trademark infringement there.
Ok so this movie definitely wasn't great. I do recommend on the basis of if you're looking for a decent movie that finishes strong give it a shot.
There are a few signs of something good here but ultimately doesn't quite work.
poolandrews1 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The Devil's Tattoo is set in the North sea just off the coast of Scotland & starts as ten members of an environmental protection group called Action Planet land on an abandoned oil rig called Janus which is due to be sunk & left as a natural reef, the activists lead by Vincent (Jaason Simmons) disagree with the plans & feel it will pollute the sea. The group find the rig totally abandoned & can only muster a limited power supply, while looking around Eric (Rory McCann) is bitten by a rat & he then kills his mate Kay (Richard Norton). Things get strange when it is in fact Eric who is found dead by the other's & Kay destroys the radio, the only way the group had to contact the outside world. Then bizarrely Kay is found dead, as the group investigate they find video recordings made by the oil rig workers that claim an evil body jumping spirit is on the loose. No-one is able to trust anyone else as the evil spirit jumps from body to body...
This English production is perhaps better known under it's widely released working title of Ghost Rig & was co-written, co-produced & directed by Julian Kean, the best way to describe The Devil's Tattoo is to think of a cross between The Thing (1982) & Ghost Ship (2002) which doesn't exactly sound like a match made in heaven but I thought The Devil's Tattoo had some good aspects but at the the same time it has some bad ones which overall let it down. I suppose what it boils down to is whether you can overcome the bad & enjoy the good because if you can't then you will have a hard time watching The Devil's Tattoo. The script by Kean, Sally Charlton along with producers Bill Dale & Greame Clapperton takes the well used horror film storyline of some sort of bodily possession as seen so effectively in The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Hidden (1987) & Fallen (1998) to name but a few the only difference here is that it's an evil ghost rather than an alien invader but the principal is still the same. This aspect of the film isn't used as effectively as it could have been, the audience is almost always made aware of who is possessed & therefore a lot of potential intrigue & tension is lost. Then there's the bunch of survivors running around the dark corridors of an isolated location trying to survive angle to the story, I'm sorry but to me scene after scene after scene of people wandering around near pitch black corridors just becomes tedious & annoying. Then there's the really left of center strange twist ending which I doubt anyone will see coming but is just so odd & not entirely satisfying. To it's credit it's just a complete surprise & fairly cleverly thought out but I didn't think it was an appropriate way to finish the film & didn't work. The character's are alright although at the start there are maybe slightly too many to keep track of but as they are killed off it becomes less of a problem.
Director Kean does OK here, he makes the most out of his locations although as I have said there's too much walking around dark corridors. There are a few problems with the story too, for instance if anyone possessed is healed why at the end when Mole is cut does his wound not heal? When he gets shot why doesn't he heal? It contradicts everything that has happened before surely? Also we never find out what this evil demon thing is, there is some vague reference to the oil rig workers messing around with Voodoo (yeah because most North sea oil rig workers perform evil Voodoo rituals on the platform during their time off don't they?) but nothing beyond that. There isn't even any reason given as to why it needs to jump from body to body, I mean does it do it just for fun? To my eyes there didn't seem to be a lot of point to it. The gore is limited to a few stab wounds & a bit of blood as The Devil's Tattoo goes for psychological horror which is only partially successful since it reveals who is possessed to easily. There's a reasonably good atmosphere though with the dark rundown & abandoned oil rig making for an effectively sinister & isolated setting.
Technically the film is good & it seems to have decent production values, I'm not sure if this was shot on a real oil rig but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. The end credits claim it was shot in Scotland & London, that it was funded at least in part by the National Lottery & The Devil's Tattoo is maybe the only film I have seen which has a 'Portable Toilets Supplied By' credit! The acting is alright to be fair although I didn't recognise anyone in it.
The Devil's Tattoo could have been a good creepy psychological horror film but is actually a relatively slow film with some good ideas but too much wandering around in the dark doing nothing in particular. I wouldn't call it a bad film just one with a lot more potential, I am in two minds really as I liked some aspects of it but disliked other's.
This English production is perhaps better known under it's widely released working title of Ghost Rig & was co-written, co-produced & directed by Julian Kean, the best way to describe The Devil's Tattoo is to think of a cross between The Thing (1982) & Ghost Ship (2002) which doesn't exactly sound like a match made in heaven but I thought The Devil's Tattoo had some good aspects but at the the same time it has some bad ones which overall let it down. I suppose what it boils down to is whether you can overcome the bad & enjoy the good because if you can't then you will have a hard time watching The Devil's Tattoo. The script by Kean, Sally Charlton along with producers Bill Dale & Greame Clapperton takes the well used horror film storyline of some sort of bodily possession as seen so effectively in The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Hidden (1987) & Fallen (1998) to name but a few the only difference here is that it's an evil ghost rather than an alien invader but the principal is still the same. This aspect of the film isn't used as effectively as it could have been, the audience is almost always made aware of who is possessed & therefore a lot of potential intrigue & tension is lost. Then there's the bunch of survivors running around the dark corridors of an isolated location trying to survive angle to the story, I'm sorry but to me scene after scene after scene of people wandering around near pitch black corridors just becomes tedious & annoying. Then there's the really left of center strange twist ending which I doubt anyone will see coming but is just so odd & not entirely satisfying. To it's credit it's just a complete surprise & fairly cleverly thought out but I didn't think it was an appropriate way to finish the film & didn't work. The character's are alright although at the start there are maybe slightly too many to keep track of but as they are killed off it becomes less of a problem.
Director Kean does OK here, he makes the most out of his locations although as I have said there's too much walking around dark corridors. There are a few problems with the story too, for instance if anyone possessed is healed why at the end when Mole is cut does his wound not heal? When he gets shot why doesn't he heal? It contradicts everything that has happened before surely? Also we never find out what this evil demon thing is, there is some vague reference to the oil rig workers messing around with Voodoo (yeah because most North sea oil rig workers perform evil Voodoo rituals on the platform during their time off don't they?) but nothing beyond that. There isn't even any reason given as to why it needs to jump from body to body, I mean does it do it just for fun? To my eyes there didn't seem to be a lot of point to it. The gore is limited to a few stab wounds & a bit of blood as The Devil's Tattoo goes for psychological horror which is only partially successful since it reveals who is possessed to easily. There's a reasonably good atmosphere though with the dark rundown & abandoned oil rig making for an effectively sinister & isolated setting.
Technically the film is good & it seems to have decent production values, I'm not sure if this was shot on a real oil rig but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. The end credits claim it was shot in Scotland & London, that it was funded at least in part by the National Lottery & The Devil's Tattoo is maybe the only film I have seen which has a 'Portable Toilets Supplied By' credit! The acting is alright to be fair although I didn't recognise anyone in it.
The Devil's Tattoo could have been a good creepy psychological horror film but is actually a relatively slow film with some good ideas but too much wandering around in the dark doing nothing in particular. I wouldn't call it a bad film just one with a lot more potential, I am in two minds really as I liked some aspects of it but disliked other's.
The Hound and the Supervet visit an oil rig...
Leofwine_draca24 January 2023
I caught this one on Prime under the title GHOST RIG and from the outset it's obvious that this is a cheap British rip-off of the Carpenter classic THE THING. This time around we get a group of environmentalists who take over an oddly deserted North Sea oil rig to stage a protest, only to discover something unpleasant going on. It's as cheap as chips and familiar from others of this ilk, with the sets and staging largely unconvincing and a total lack of lighting which doesn't help much. The budget is so low that we don't see any threat. Amusingly enough, GAME OF THRONES star Rory McCann stars alongside TV's Noel Fitzpatrick; who knew he was an actor before he became the country's best-loved vet?
Excellent idea, still bored to death.
Choragus1 November 2003
Yep, sure was unique idea.. a guy keeping evil spirit inside of him just simply by tattooing ground circle into himself. Movie? Boring.. exciting parts but slow. So slow that you had plenty of time to lose all your interest into the darn movie before something actually happened. Good scenes, sure. And if lucky enough you were still awake when they were shown. I recommend to use the fast forward button in case you have one or as an another option, pick up a nice book to read while most of the movie and follow movie when something interesting happens. It works fine.
Repeater Movie
jmansour21 July 2003
Quite good (Beware, lots of SPOILERS)
BennyM30 June 2004
Warning: Spoilers
In the realm of group-of-people-trapped-with-something-picking-them-off-one-by-one films, there has not been a lot of innovation since Alien and Evil Dead.
Not surprisingly, this film does not offer much you have not seen already (at least if you are like me and watch all the thrillers, splatter and horror films you can). Direction and acting could be better, but are satisfactory in most respects within the given limits.
Surprisingly however, this one hits the nail on the head in every aspect of the story.
The snags in this kind of story has always been these three questions: Why are they in the monster's lair, why don't they leave, and why do they split up? When these questions are not answered to my satisfaction, my suspension of disbelief fails. Then it is obviously just a question of producing a popcorn movie for 15-year-olds to snigger at and forget immediately.
But here, the basic premise works, and each question is answered logically: the ten protagonists are eco-activists who board an oil rig to stop it from being toppled. Farfetched as this may sound, it could happen, and I have no doubt Greenpeace activists entertained a similar thought with Brent Spar in those days. Since they need to find the crew of the rig (but expect no problems beyond being told to bugger off), they search the place, and when they find nobody there, they are in a fix, as their very presence is what prevents the oil company from sinking the rig. So they have to stay. (The "weather closing in" excuse preventing the helicopter from returning is ridiculous though, as all the exterior shots of the rig show calm weather with barely any wind at all).
In addition to this initial premise, the rest of the story (and the twist-in-the-tale in particular) holds water in a way I had not expected. A rare sight these days, when even Stephen King expects us to believe that local police suspecting a divorced husband of murdering his ex-wife and her lover will not even dig up his back yard fifteen feet from the house (not to mention the fact that as he lived in another state, it would become an FBI case with all the additional resources this would entail).
Not surprisingly, this film does not offer much you have not seen already (at least if you are like me and watch all the thrillers, splatter and horror films you can). Direction and acting could be better, but are satisfactory in most respects within the given limits.
Surprisingly however, this one hits the nail on the head in every aspect of the story.
The snags in this kind of story has always been these three questions: Why are they in the monster's lair, why don't they leave, and why do they split up? When these questions are not answered to my satisfaction, my suspension of disbelief fails. Then it is obviously just a question of producing a popcorn movie for 15-year-olds to snigger at and forget immediately.
But here, the basic premise works, and each question is answered logically: the ten protagonists are eco-activists who board an oil rig to stop it from being toppled. Farfetched as this may sound, it could happen, and I have no doubt Greenpeace activists entertained a similar thought with Brent Spar in those days. Since they need to find the crew of the rig (but expect no problems beyond being told to bugger off), they search the place, and when they find nobody there, they are in a fix, as their very presence is what prevents the oil company from sinking the rig. So they have to stay. (The "weather closing in" excuse preventing the helicopter from returning is ridiculous though, as all the exterior shots of the rig show calm weather with barely any wind at all).
In addition to this initial premise, the rest of the story (and the twist-in-the-tale in particular) holds water in a way I had not expected. A rare sight these days, when even Stephen King expects us to believe that local police suspecting a divorced husband of murdering his ex-wife and her lover will not even dig up his back yard fifteen feet from the house (not to mention the fact that as he lived in another state, it would become an FBI case with all the additional resources this would entail).
Very entertaining
gsbuie24 November 2019
As I say time and time again, if you go into this and others of it's ilk without the expectation of seeing a big budget production you will enjoy it. It's got a decent plot with a surprising twist. It's certainly not scary, which makes it perfect for people who don't want too much of a scare. It's actually more of a mystery. I definitely think this suitable for family viewing with kids around 12.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
