Kate, played by Zara Phythian, meets up with five old friends after the sudden death of her partner, together the group of girls set off on a camping trip to a picturesque, remote area of the British countryside. As night falls they are attacked and captured, Kate is left for dead after being pushed from a cliff ledge, which she survives. The girls soon realise their survival depends on each other. The Hike blends, I Spit on Your Grave with The Decent and is the first feature film written and directed by Rupert Bryan. Hostel favorite, Barbara Nedeljakova, won best supporting actress at The British Horror Film Festival for her role. The movie begins with a gripping cold opening scene and slick opening credits. The five women that make up the group about to embark on their journey all look very attractive, are dressed to kill, if not somewhat inappropriately for hiking, in skimpy clothes and high heels. Their questionable acting coupled with the unimaginative dialogue are initially easily forgiven, as most fans of the genre would just assume these girls have been chosen by their readiness to take their clothes off and shoot scenes of graphic violence. This is not the case. In fact, the whole film is relatively tame. It starts off well with good pacing and a reasonable attempt at character development. First-rate camera work, topnotch music and beautiful scenery give the low budget movie a refined, professional look. However, as the story unfolds through a series of unsurprising twists, it begins to feel rushed, and in places, it becomes difficult to easily follow the action. On the whole, The Hike feels like exploitation / torture cinema for beginners, for those looking to gently warm to the sub genre.
38 Reviews
I don't think the director watch his movie after fliming
victoric30 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The only thing i like this movie was, there were some beautiful scenes captured.
However, there is some problem, incomplete scene about how the man was captured.
A major problem about the movie is, the plot doesn't make any sense. It is out of human basic survival instinct. When being threatened to death and having so many chances to kill the man, the woman chose to run away, and her background was a soldier. That's just nonsense.
Another nonsense part is since David likes Charlie, why would he want her die and leave the body in the tent without taking any care of.
However, there is some problem, incomplete scene about how the man was captured.
A major problem about the movie is, the plot doesn't make any sense. It is out of human basic survival instinct. When being threatened to death and having so many chances to kill the man, the woman chose to run away, and her background was a soldier. That's just nonsense.
Another nonsense part is since David likes Charlie, why would he want her die and leave the body in the tent without taking any care of.
YOU GOT TO KNOW WHEN TO GET OUT
nogodnomasters3 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The film opens with people screaming and running around getting killed by an off screen slasher. After that brief teaser opening, 5 girls take off to go camping. Kate (Zara Phythian) is five days back from Afghanistan (guess how her training plays in this). The girls drive, then leave their convertible with the top down to go hike and camp several hours away. The girls are armed with shorts, boots, back packs, and military issue undergarments that can double as a swim suit. It isn't long before they meet some cute boys and become flirty.
If you were awake the first few minutes then you know where this goes.
This is a "me-too" woods slasher. It offers nothing new. The characters were not well established. Their personality was bland. It was killing for the sake of killing. No cannibals, inbreeding, or a sportsman club. Boring.
Parental Guide: F-bomb, rape, nudity (male and female)
If you were awake the first few minutes then you know where this goes.
This is a "me-too" woods slasher. It offers nothing new. The characters were not well established. Their personality was bland. It was killing for the sake of killing. No cannibals, inbreeding, or a sportsman club. Boring.
Parental Guide: F-bomb, rape, nudity (male and female)
Can Brits make really boring torture porn flick?
the_wolf_imdb1 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, they can! The fundamental problem of this movie is that it is not a movie as such. It is very boring nonsensical soft core torture porn or something like that. There is no reasonable story for the girls that will be raped and killed nor for the guys who will rape and kill them. They just do happen to meet and soft core torture porn will happen.
None of the characters are believable or interesting. It is mostly running in the woods, screaming, some bondage play in the mud and such. The movie could be roughly compared to Lake Eden but in comparison to that the Lake Eden has interesting characters, plot and very disturbing message.
Surprisingly enough the movie does not even have any thrills, it is very predictable. It promises something for horror fans, for thriller fans and even for the porn consumers, but fails in all the aspects. There are no sympathetic heroes so you do not feel anything. It is just very boring, somewhat disgusting flick. What a waste of time!
None of the characters are believable or interesting. It is mostly running in the woods, screaming, some bondage play in the mud and such. The movie could be roughly compared to Lake Eden but in comparison to that the Lake Eden has interesting characters, plot and very disturbing message.
Surprisingly enough the movie does not even have any thrills, it is very predictable. It promises something for horror fans, for thriller fans and even for the porn consumers, but fails in all the aspects. There are no sympathetic heroes so you do not feel anything. It is just very boring, somewhat disgusting flick. What a waste of time!
One star for nothing!
peter-karin6 February 2019
The Hike? more like a never ending marathon!!!!!!
mbgdowska25 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Awful. What more can I say about this terrible terrible movie. Everything was bad about this movie. From the actors to the script. Worst of all there was no definitive motive fro the killings. A stupid senseless movie that should have NEVER been made. A waste of 83 minutes of my life I will never get back, ever. I wonder if this movie had been American would it be any good? Low budget low acting and a bad script. I have seen many B movies and this one is the worst of the bunch. The movie's atmosphere was eerie and claustrophobic which gave the movie a spooky ambiance and the ending had a little twist. I hope there is NOT a sequel to this poodle poop.
Wrong name
josephfeaster18 July 2021
A truly awful film
mjsreg30 November 2016
This is the only film I have seen where the entire cast's acting is awful. Truly awful. So awful it becomes annoying very very quickly.
It is so mind numbingly awful it could potentially make your head bleed as it turns to mush from the shriekish loud voices of wannabe actresses trying far far too hard.
To be fair, is is much the director's fault as cast members. The fact that the director thought this trash acting was acceptable speaks volumes about their skills on set.
Apart from the standard of acting, the realism within the story got lost long before a word was typed it seems. A cross between the ridiculous and the factually incorrect adds to the films crappyness.
Usually there is some comedy element to awful films - but there is nothing to laugh at in this one.
Give this one a miss for sure. You would be better off watching your laundry being washed.
It is so mind numbingly awful it could potentially make your head bleed as it turns to mush from the shriekish loud voices of wannabe actresses trying far far too hard.
To be fair, is is much the director's fault as cast members. The fact that the director thought this trash acting was acceptable speaks volumes about their skills on set.
Apart from the standard of acting, the realism within the story got lost long before a word was typed it seems. A cross between the ridiculous and the factually incorrect adds to the films crappyness.
Usually there is some comedy element to awful films - but there is nothing to laugh at in this one.
Give this one a miss for sure. You would be better off watching your laundry being washed.
The nadir of survival horror/torture porn....
nightwatch477320 July 2013
I have seen some great survival horror films over the last few years, Resurrection County, Frontiers, Rogue River, I spit on your grave ( 2010 ) and Eden Lake to name a few. This one is the low point of this horror sub-genre. The acting and locations were good, it was just nothing scary about our antagonists. No back story, no character development and no suspense to speak of. Dull and boring that seemed longer then its 82 minute running time. I didn't buy into any of this and the ending is sooooo transparent and you can feel it coming from a mile away. If your lucky stay miles away from this film. Garbage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Creepy torture porn
vikpk29 July 2012
Disgusting flick, cannot be watched without feeling nauseated. Waste of money, time, and brain-cells. Despicable human beings doing despicable acts on others. Low life entertainment - there is no plot or sense in this movie. The worst part is that it is pretentious enough to pose as a real film.
It is hard to decide what is more torturous -- the gratuitous and pornographic depictions of torture, or the consciousness that you are sitting and watching such a grotesque depictions of low human behavior. The motivation of the killers make no sense. No idea why they turn out to be seemingly nice guys but in fact they are serial killers.
The only interesting thing is the twist at the end. But it is also quite predictable -- it is the same as in all the horror flicks which emanate and glorify evil.
Full frontal male nudity -- a bonus feature in this sadistic piece of... Writing this review is to warn other viewers, otherwise it is not worth my time. Make sure you FF otherwise your time will be fully wasted. I did that but I still feel violated by the scenes I had to endure while skipping. Two thumbs down for the director, writer and the poor cast.
It is hard to decide what is more torturous -- the gratuitous and pornographic depictions of torture, or the consciousness that you are sitting and watching such a grotesque depictions of low human behavior. The motivation of the killers make no sense. No idea why they turn out to be seemingly nice guys but in fact they are serial killers.
The only interesting thing is the twist at the end. But it is also quite predictable -- it is the same as in all the horror flicks which emanate and glorify evil.
Full frontal male nudity -- a bonus feature in this sadistic piece of... Writing this review is to warn other viewers, otherwise it is not worth my time. Make sure you FF otherwise your time will be fully wasted. I did that but I still feel violated by the scenes I had to endure while skipping. Two thumbs down for the director, writer and the poor cast.
Dreadful sexist gratuitous rubbish
painteddeath101 November 2011
It starts of well and then? well...it turns into a sexist porn/horror movie. Unpleasant to watch and very gratuitous, its such as shame as it starts off well. I am not sure who this film would appeal to, it has strong female characters that are reminiscent of the women from The Descent, but is horribly sexist to the point that any female viewer would want to turn it off. The men are ridiculous unbelievable characters, and if they appeal to any viewers then I suggest they seek specialist help.
Some of the acting is very poor, especially from the women and that makes it hard to watch. I would avoid at all costs/
Some of the acting is very poor, especially from the women and that makes it hard to watch. I would avoid at all costs/
Zara Phythian takes a creep inducing hike with her girlfriends!
templegod21 November 2011
Shot in the woods on the new RED cam The Hike is a wild and shocking horror ride. The story opens innocently enough with a group of young girls going on a hike. The women are a bit scantily clad, but what horror film would not need this haha. Makes them seem innocent and vulnerable. Things are not always what they seem.
The opening is slow, there is a lot of talking, but I feel this sets the mood of the characters, and builds the audience familiarity of them. Zara plays Kate, a soldier returning from Afghanistan, for her first leading role I thought she did a good job of conveying emotion, she has a clear speaking voice. Barbara Nedeljakova and Ben Loyd-Holmes are excellent as well, .
Once the movie gets going there are several shocking scenes, not bloody or exploitative, warning this is not a film for the faint at heart. One of them are captured by hanging upside down from a tree, and the rest must fight for survival. This is meant to The scenery is lush and dark, landscapes are vast,all adding to the creepiness. This is one film you do not want to spoil the ending. Finally, most importantly, this is not, nor does it claim to be an exploitation film!
The opening is slow, there is a lot of talking, but I feel this sets the mood of the characters, and builds the audience familiarity of them. Zara plays Kate, a soldier returning from Afghanistan, for her first leading role I thought she did a good job of conveying emotion, she has a clear speaking voice. Barbara Nedeljakova and Ben Loyd-Holmes are excellent as well, .
Once the movie gets going there are several shocking scenes, not bloody or exploitative, warning this is not a film for the faint at heart. One of them are captured by hanging upside down from a tree, and the rest must fight for survival. This is meant to The scenery is lush and dark, landscapes are vast,all adding to the creepiness. This is one film you do not want to spoil the ending. Finally, most importantly, this is not, nor does it claim to be an exploitation film!
A lousy script with numerous flaws yet somehow it still satisfies in places.
MattyGibbs25 July 2015
Five women go on a hiking weekend that turns into a fight for survival. In many ways this film pulls parts from both The Descent and Eden Lake, two other recent British films that concentrate on vacations going wrong. Right from the off you realise this isn't going to be anywhere near the level of those superior films.
The five female lead characters are much of a muchness and no-one stands out. The quality of the acting from all five is very moderate at best and at times very poor. The fact that Tamer Hassan a very moderate actor at best, is at the higher end of the acting ability spectrum on show here tells you all you need to know.
By far the best and most natural acting on show comes from a cameo at the end from Shauna Macdonald. What a shame they couldn't have incorporated her into the script earlier but maybe budget wouldn't allow this.
The script is disappointing and the ridiculous scenario's that occur stretch any small amount of credibility created early on. I know it's a horror film and doesn't need to be realistic but the lazy set up really does let the film down.
For much of the film I was going to rate it much lower than a 6 however to be fair the last third of the film did pick up very well and hold the attention. In my view the fate of many films is sealed by the ending and this is where The Hike scored highly in my opinion. I really enjoyed the ending which wasn't a generic cop out and left me satisfied that I hadn't wasted my time watching the previous 90 minutes.
This is a low budget film and it shows in many places but it did in parts entertain me. I appreciate that many people will find it junk and in many ways they are right. However if you expect little and are willing to forgive flaws then there is enough here for the avid horror fan to enjoy.
The five female lead characters are much of a muchness and no-one stands out. The quality of the acting from all five is very moderate at best and at times very poor. The fact that Tamer Hassan a very moderate actor at best, is at the higher end of the acting ability spectrum on show here tells you all you need to know.
By far the best and most natural acting on show comes from a cameo at the end from Shauna Macdonald. What a shame they couldn't have incorporated her into the script earlier but maybe budget wouldn't allow this.
The script is disappointing and the ridiculous scenario's that occur stretch any small amount of credibility created early on. I know it's a horror film and doesn't need to be realistic but the lazy set up really does let the film down.
For much of the film I was going to rate it much lower than a 6 however to be fair the last third of the film did pick up very well and hold the attention. In my view the fate of many films is sealed by the ending and this is where The Hike scored highly in my opinion. I really enjoyed the ending which wasn't a generic cop out and left me satisfied that I hadn't wasted my time watching the previous 90 minutes.
This is a low budget film and it shows in many places but it did in parts entertain me. I appreciate that many people will find it junk and in many ways they are right. However if you expect little and are willing to forgive flaws then there is enough here for the avid horror fan to enjoy.
Strangely Tame, All Things Considered
FilmFatale26 May 2021
A group of women on a girls trip in the woods run across some unsavory characters and end up having to fight for their lives. It's been done before, and better. The girlfriends don't seem to have a believable bond and it's hard to care about any of the characters and there's at least one character you think is going to provide a pivotal moment who just sort of disappears. The only truly interesting thing about The Hike is how it implies some pretty terrible things are gonna go down but then it handles them in the tamest way possible. I don't want to give details but if you end up ignoring all the other reviews and actually watch this movie, it will probably strike you as a bit odd as well.
Legitimately Awful
scarlet_symon3 October 2021
There's a difference between a bad movie and a horrible movie. A bad movie can be as result of any number of things, be it writing, direction, acting, whatever. A horrible movie though, that's different. Because a horrible movie is more about what the movie is trying to do or say.
With The Hike, you get the worst of both worlds. On a purely technical level, it's awful in pretty much every department. But then there's the general feel of the movie.
And it's not hard to gauge the filmmaker's intent when the scenes of rape and torture and suffering make up the bulk of the 'action', whilst any subsequent revenge/retribution for the movie's hero are brief and perfunctory. It genuinely feels as though any actual payoff was just something the writer/director wanted to get done as quickly as possible.
Devoid of any style, substance, depth or entertainment value of any kind, a movie like this can therefore be only defined by its content. And its content is horrible.
With The Hike, you get the worst of both worlds. On a purely technical level, it's awful in pretty much every department. But then there's the general feel of the movie.
And it's not hard to gauge the filmmaker's intent when the scenes of rape and torture and suffering make up the bulk of the 'action', whilst any subsequent revenge/retribution for the movie's hero are brief and perfunctory. It genuinely feels as though any actual payoff was just something the writer/director wanted to get done as quickly as possible.
Devoid of any style, substance, depth or entertainment value of any kind, a movie like this can therefore be only defined by its content. And its content is horrible.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear....dreadful!
vidalbobby525 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this last night on the Horror Channel, UK. An hour and a half of complete nonsense.
Totally unconvincing story, extremely poor acting and none dimensional characters. The script feels like it has been written by a 10 year old kid.
The story does not make any sense. Why a group of killers are out in the woods waiting for poor, unsuspecting hikers is beyond me.
The lead male and co-writer Ben Loyd-Holmes cannot portray a menacing killer, in my opinion.
I have heard quite a lot of hype about Zara Phythian, but after watching this film it must all be hype. Her performance was dire. She was monotone, even when crying and upset. Admittedly she had her work cut out due to the dreadful dialogue and script in general, however she just didn't seem to try and act. I know she comes from a martial arts background but that doesn't mean to say that she cannot put on a performance...even her fighting was unconvincing.
Some of the cinematography wasn't bad but on certain points, such as the action scenes the cinematographer decided to shoot right up close so you couldn't see what was supposed to be happening.
People have been going on about there was a twist at the end....there was no twist, it was so predictable and you could see it coming a mile off.
The film is very lazy, in writing, acting and directing.
Please, please, please DO NOT BOTHER WATCHING THIS!
Totally unconvincing story, extremely poor acting and none dimensional characters. The script feels like it has been written by a 10 year old kid.
The story does not make any sense. Why a group of killers are out in the woods waiting for poor, unsuspecting hikers is beyond me.
The lead male and co-writer Ben Loyd-Holmes cannot portray a menacing killer, in my opinion.
I have heard quite a lot of hype about Zara Phythian, but after watching this film it must all be hype. Her performance was dire. She was monotone, even when crying and upset. Admittedly she had her work cut out due to the dreadful dialogue and script in general, however she just didn't seem to try and act. I know she comes from a martial arts background but that doesn't mean to say that she cannot put on a performance...even her fighting was unconvincing.
Some of the cinematography wasn't bad but on certain points, such as the action scenes the cinematographer decided to shoot right up close so you couldn't see what was supposed to be happening.
People have been going on about there was a twist at the end....there was no twist, it was so predictable and you could see it coming a mile off.
The film is very lazy, in writing, acting and directing.
Please, please, please DO NOT BOTHER WATCHING THIS!
An insult to women and a bad movie.
Michael-Hallows-Eve4 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
** SPOILER ALERT ** This movie started off okay in the opening sequence then it went down hill fast from there. As it says on the cover "It's all about survival", yeah, trying to survive watching it is what they must have meant. The acting is rubbish, the storyline is rubbish, and the fact that the producers and director thought this would be a good idea is rubbish. I couldn't wait to see the women get killed in this movie, because I didn't give two shits about the characters. And on that note, if you are a woman and you watch this then you will hate it as it totally exploits women to the extreme in my opinion. The way women are portrayed in this movie is an insult to them. They're made to look like dizzy nonsensical sluts (sorry to be so blunt, but it's true) and I felt embarrassed as a guy watching it. And the fact that skimpily dressed women would go out camping together like they wanted you to believe is a joke. The movie is a bit like a soft porn at one stage and that scene has no reason whatsoever of being there. Apart from a good kill scene or two the movie was annoying as a lot of the time they are running through the forest almost without any direction. So in summary I can only give this very below average movie a 2 out of 10.
A low rent 'horror' journey that just isn't horrific or scary at all
davidstarr_davidstarr19 September 2013
When a young enthusiastic Jewish-American began this journey into torture porn territory (thank you Eli Roth you schmuck) which is something none of us should be proud of, it signalled a movement of derivation and copycat movies the likes of which haven't been seen since those that followed in the wake of the heady and exciting days of Jason, Michael, and Leatherface in the late 70's / early 80's.
The number of movies that have regurgitated the 'youngsters in peril' storyline have been overwhelmed, if not in number, certainly in the ferocity of their horror, by those now taking young (and old) characters without discrimination and putting them through any number of horrendously painful, vomit-inducing, and gut-churning scenarios to prolong and enhance the pain of death.
With films like Frontieres and Martyrs, the French have begun a renewed journey into the bizarre and gratuitous, last seen in 70's, though oddly the narratives have way more depth than those coming from America and Britain. The Brit attempts at this subversive sub-genre are more lame than a three-legged pony with a limp. The Hike opens with positive intent. It's just that the deaths are glossed over, and merely suggested at. That isn't torture porn and to be honest it's pretty poor for a slasher/psycho type horror too. For one commentator to liken this even remotely to the set up (group of girls) of The Descent is ambitious to say the least. In order to have that sort of impact there needed to be something thoroughly dynamic in the opening 5 minutes.
Director Bryant(Rupert not David) missed a golden opportunity there, and sadly everything goes downhill very rapidly from that point on. The only thing that brought even the remotest interest for me was the walk through the forest to the waterfall which was very reminiscent of Neil Marshall's caving flick. The Hike at that point 'felt' quality. But it didn't last long. The camp scene and onwards to the mid-point at around 40 minutes was as if Bryant studied The Descent frame by frame and basically built his opening 20 minutes around Neil's set up (but without the money to have a log cabin - hell even one of the character's asks if a cabin's where they are sleeping).
The cast (girls) were very pretty, but eye-candy trades off ho-hum as actors. There wasn't one stand out - albeit Stephanie Siadatan was quite the little hottie in her tight hipsters and bikini top. Nedeljakova, probably the biggest name on show, turns in a very ordinary performance. The rest were unrecognisable names that didn't take the opportunity to shine. Shauna MacDonald was easily the best on show brief as her appearance was. But the most annoying thing for me was Pythian - I didn't believe for one minute she was ex-British Army who had served in Afghanistan. Dialogue and some terminologies were forced, inaccurate in a lot of cases. I loved the way she just stared at the map and compass at the start of the trek - no bearings taken, no waypoints marked - a military map would be marked as a matter of process on exercise - once you've done that once it's like muscle memory. Why do filmmakers make stuff with military elements and NOT get technical advice? Saving a buck or two I expect but costing them in authenticity. By far Pythian's 'best' moments were when she was the vulnerable victim, busted, broken, and running scared.
I know that Pythian is some big deal in martial arts but jeez the girl can't seem to act - very one note, monotone delivery. In fight sequences okay, fair enough; combat skills for martial arts movies I can understand. But in this in particular she just didn't cut regular squaddie, Special Forces, AI, or anything remotely connected to military (or police for that matter either). Every film she's in, she's a tough cookie who punches and kicks her way clear of trouble. Sadly it seems fighting skills are ALL she is employed for. If she wants to develop as an actress she needs to take on more roles that allow her acting talents (assuming she has some beyond looking moody) to do the impressing for her.
The guys too were incredibly one note and the story made so obvious even a blind man with a deaf mute dog could've seen what was coming ! The red herring Russian stank so badly it was more kipper ! It made the narrative unbearable - no tension, no terror. Even the gratuitous violence, nudity, and gore failed to appear. I think Bryant bottled it. That's lazy and dismally poor filmmaking. Either set out your stall and deliver or just don't make out you can do what you clearly can't. Shame really because the setting was beautiful and the cinematography was well composed. The DP comes out of this with some credit at least.
How to sum The Hike up? Dismal and lazy that neither delivered on its torture porn potential nor delivered the alternative killer / slasher in the woods – a firework with a lit fuse that 'phuts and fizzles' - extinguishes before the main event. The Descent and Eden Lake plagiarisms are unforgivable - talk about ripping from much better sources. The Hike was predictable, laboured, poorly conceived, poorly cast, and failed to deliver on expectation. Horror of all genres is the one where a known audience exists and where theatrical, DVD, and VOD success can almost be guaranteed.......as long as a filmmaker remembers what audiences want and delivers upon it........even if that delivery comes from left field. The Hike wasn't even in the stadium, and will undoubtedly be consigned to the 'missed by a quarter mile' bin at Blockbusters.
The number of movies that have regurgitated the 'youngsters in peril' storyline have been overwhelmed, if not in number, certainly in the ferocity of their horror, by those now taking young (and old) characters without discrimination and putting them through any number of horrendously painful, vomit-inducing, and gut-churning scenarios to prolong and enhance the pain of death.
With films like Frontieres and Martyrs, the French have begun a renewed journey into the bizarre and gratuitous, last seen in 70's, though oddly the narratives have way more depth than those coming from America and Britain. The Brit attempts at this subversive sub-genre are more lame than a three-legged pony with a limp. The Hike opens with positive intent. It's just that the deaths are glossed over, and merely suggested at. That isn't torture porn and to be honest it's pretty poor for a slasher/psycho type horror too. For one commentator to liken this even remotely to the set up (group of girls) of The Descent is ambitious to say the least. In order to have that sort of impact there needed to be something thoroughly dynamic in the opening 5 minutes.
Director Bryant(Rupert not David) missed a golden opportunity there, and sadly everything goes downhill very rapidly from that point on. The only thing that brought even the remotest interest for me was the walk through the forest to the waterfall which was very reminiscent of Neil Marshall's caving flick. The Hike at that point 'felt' quality. But it didn't last long. The camp scene and onwards to the mid-point at around 40 minutes was as if Bryant studied The Descent frame by frame and basically built his opening 20 minutes around Neil's set up (but without the money to have a log cabin - hell even one of the character's asks if a cabin's where they are sleeping).
The cast (girls) were very pretty, but eye-candy trades off ho-hum as actors. There wasn't one stand out - albeit Stephanie Siadatan was quite the little hottie in her tight hipsters and bikini top. Nedeljakova, probably the biggest name on show, turns in a very ordinary performance. The rest were unrecognisable names that didn't take the opportunity to shine. Shauna MacDonald was easily the best on show brief as her appearance was. But the most annoying thing for me was Pythian - I didn't believe for one minute she was ex-British Army who had served in Afghanistan. Dialogue and some terminologies were forced, inaccurate in a lot of cases. I loved the way she just stared at the map and compass at the start of the trek - no bearings taken, no waypoints marked - a military map would be marked as a matter of process on exercise - once you've done that once it's like muscle memory. Why do filmmakers make stuff with military elements and NOT get technical advice? Saving a buck or two I expect but costing them in authenticity. By far Pythian's 'best' moments were when she was the vulnerable victim, busted, broken, and running scared.
I know that Pythian is some big deal in martial arts but jeez the girl can't seem to act - very one note, monotone delivery. In fight sequences okay, fair enough; combat skills for martial arts movies I can understand. But in this in particular she just didn't cut regular squaddie, Special Forces, AI, or anything remotely connected to military (or police for that matter either). Every film she's in, she's a tough cookie who punches and kicks her way clear of trouble. Sadly it seems fighting skills are ALL she is employed for. If she wants to develop as an actress she needs to take on more roles that allow her acting talents (assuming she has some beyond looking moody) to do the impressing for her.
The guys too were incredibly one note and the story made so obvious even a blind man with a deaf mute dog could've seen what was coming ! The red herring Russian stank so badly it was more kipper ! It made the narrative unbearable - no tension, no terror. Even the gratuitous violence, nudity, and gore failed to appear. I think Bryant bottled it. That's lazy and dismally poor filmmaking. Either set out your stall and deliver or just don't make out you can do what you clearly can't. Shame really because the setting was beautiful and the cinematography was well composed. The DP comes out of this with some credit at least.
How to sum The Hike up? Dismal and lazy that neither delivered on its torture porn potential nor delivered the alternative killer / slasher in the woods – a firework with a lit fuse that 'phuts and fizzles' - extinguishes before the main event. The Descent and Eden Lake plagiarisms are unforgivable - talk about ripping from much better sources. The Hike was predictable, laboured, poorly conceived, poorly cast, and failed to deliver on expectation. Horror of all genres is the one where a known audience exists and where theatrical, DVD, and VOD success can almost be guaranteed.......as long as a filmmaker remembers what audiences want and delivers upon it........even if that delivery comes from left field. The Hike wasn't even in the stadium, and will undoubtedly be consigned to the 'missed by a quarter mile' bin at Blockbusters.
Über-violent film of absolutely no value or moral purpose
geoffrey_bellamy12 October 2017
This really is a truly awful film. Girls go camping together in completely inappropriate clothing, so one is warned this is going to go badly wrong. Sadistic, gratuitous violence seems to be glorified with no plot justification, other than the glorification of gratuitous violence. This really dredges the deepest pits of human depravity, supposedly in the name of entertainment, as there is no moral compass in this film whatever, it is sickeningly depraved, though well shot and with plenty of tension, but tension only caused by the incipient nastiness which runs virtually throughout. Best avoided at all cost. I wish I knew it was this bad before watching.
A hike into the predictable....
crazycow-843-40445627 July 2012
The Hike, a group of friends (all girls), travel to the woods for a fun weekend of camping and hiking... that turns into a nightmare.
The story is simple, and there is nothing wrong with that, but... with such a simple story, it needed to deliver on everything else it was offering, and sad to say, it didn't for me.
The acting here is a mix for me, yes... it was decent, but i felt it was missing something. The setting was plain, althou there were some nice scenic areas. Sure there are some scenes that might make ppl turn away with disgust, but sadly it's not the gore part of the movie, it trys to shock the viewers by showing full on violence (but it was pretty sub par to me) i find it more of a 2nd rate exploitation movie if anything. There were no real surprises, there was no feeling of fear as i was watching this, and there was no shock value (i've watched a lot of horror/thrillers, so i expected more). The directing was sub par, not sure if i'll blame the director on this one, cause the script was just bad.
Overall, semi decent acting, sub par directing, bad script. Final Verdict - 4 out of 10, i had a lot of mix feelings for this film, on one hand it could of been something good to watch, on the other hand, it was just crap, i cannot recommend this movie to anyone.
The story is simple, and there is nothing wrong with that, but... with such a simple story, it needed to deliver on everything else it was offering, and sad to say, it didn't for me.
The acting here is a mix for me, yes... it was decent, but i felt it was missing something. The setting was plain, althou there were some nice scenic areas. Sure there are some scenes that might make ppl turn away with disgust, but sadly it's not the gore part of the movie, it trys to shock the viewers by showing full on violence (but it was pretty sub par to me) i find it more of a 2nd rate exploitation movie if anything. There were no real surprises, there was no feeling of fear as i was watching this, and there was no shock value (i've watched a lot of horror/thrillers, so i expected more). The directing was sub par, not sure if i'll blame the director on this one, cause the script was just bad.
Overall, semi decent acting, sub par directing, bad script. Final Verdict - 4 out of 10, i had a lot of mix feelings for this film, on one hand it could of been something good to watch, on the other hand, it was just crap, i cannot recommend this movie to anyone.
Awful, just awful
HumbleMensa2 June 2021
Okay, so I watch a lot of horror and thrillers...some good, some bad...some really, really bad. The first time I watched this storyline in a different movie, it was worth it for the creep factor. But, this bizarre version of a bootlegged plot isn't scary or even remotely frightening. In fact, it unnecessarily goes way, way beyond the "suggestion" of sinister things, almost to the repulsive. The only horror I experienced is how sick and twisted the actors playing the male characters are to have agreed to even participate in making this movie and to the female characters, although positioned strong in their survival and fighting back...whew...next time pick a better movie to debut. If you have any integrity you won't waste your time watching this one and I can safely say that it's one of the worst movies I've watched in a very, very long time.
Decent British horror
Maskedview2 November 2011
With the action starting immediately the film's horror direction is set. We then meet the innocent girls doing what girls do, having a fun weekend away. Although I found the pace of the girls hiking and chatting slow, maybe could have been reduced a little, it introduces the normality of why they are there and the friendships involved. Obviously, all the girls are very pretty, and very easy on the eye, which some would instantly say was sexist, but each girl has their own character strengths and weaknesses and are able to protect themselves to an extent. Don't worry there are some cute guys there too!! When darkness falls as in many horror films a requisite for the action to begin, and boy does it!
This is brutal horror not for the faint hearted, but not as brutal as some I've seen however it does portray how a completely innocent & normal situation can change with devastating effect. There are a few light hearted moments included even while the brutality is taking place which is unusual in this type of film, but it works well. And even when u think it's over there's a final twist.
The scenery is amazing, with brilliant camera angles, and the make up has been well thought out & add in some great music and this becomes a decent film for British horror.
This is brutal horror not for the faint hearted, but not as brutal as some I've seen however it does portray how a completely innocent & normal situation can change with devastating effect. There are a few light hearted moments included even while the brutality is taking place which is unusual in this type of film, but it works well. And even when u think it's over there's a final twist.
The scenery is amazing, with brilliant camera angles, and the make up has been well thought out & add in some great music and this becomes a decent film for British horror.
Surprisingly well-made for the genre
ablebravo10 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I have a friend who, like myself, is an avid horror fan. Any subgenre, any style, any language, any budget. The main difference is that my pal actually BUYS every DVD of these films. He has literally thousands of titles in his collection most of which I have never heard of. Such is the case of THE HIKE.
I'm writing this only minutes after I watched the film-indeed I was logging on to IMDb even as the final credits were still rolling. I found it to be an interesting, disturbing and sometimes quite brutal tale, full of twists and turns that simply won't let you go till the final shocking moment.
One element of the film which really got my attention was the incredible camera work (and the editing.... lingering on certain shots.... just that *moment* longer... whoa!) yeah. I actually found myself involuntarily invoking Hitchcock in my mind as certain scenes played out during the first third of the film. These scenes are particularly harrowing because we the viewer are being shown almost continuous and subtle clues that Something Isn't Right Out Here, yet the poor girls are clueless - not because they are stupid but because they are utterly unsuspecting that anything is amiss. One such scene is one where the gals are seen at a good distance from the camera, crossing a wide dry gulch. They are distant enough for their chatter to be indistinct. The camera slowly changes depth of focus, bringing the sounds with it, until we are very close to the camera indeed, where we vaguely see the outline of a young woman lying on the forest floor where she gasps and chokes her life away, all the while the lead gals frolic in the background...
Yeah, I enjoyed it. All the elements that make a film "good" to me hit it just right - especially the plotting, direction and camera work.
I give it a 73/100
I'm writing this only minutes after I watched the film-indeed I was logging on to IMDb even as the final credits were still rolling. I found it to be an interesting, disturbing and sometimes quite brutal tale, full of twists and turns that simply won't let you go till the final shocking moment.
One element of the film which really got my attention was the incredible camera work (and the editing.... lingering on certain shots.... just that *moment* longer... whoa!) yeah. I actually found myself involuntarily invoking Hitchcock in my mind as certain scenes played out during the first third of the film. These scenes are particularly harrowing because we the viewer are being shown almost continuous and subtle clues that Something Isn't Right Out Here, yet the poor girls are clueless - not because they are stupid but because they are utterly unsuspecting that anything is amiss. One such scene is one where the gals are seen at a good distance from the camera, crossing a wide dry gulch. They are distant enough for their chatter to be indistinct. The camera slowly changes depth of focus, bringing the sounds with it, until we are very close to the camera indeed, where we vaguely see the outline of a young woman lying on the forest floor where she gasps and chokes her life away, all the while the lead gals frolic in the background...
Yeah, I enjoyed it. All the elements that make a film "good" to me hit it just right - especially the plotting, direction and camera work.
I give it a 73/100
Dire
neil-47629 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
5 women friends go on a hiking/camping trip and are set upon by various men who they had thought were friendly.
This film is well lit, well photographed, has good sound, is set in beautiful countryside, and features five very attractive young women.
Sadly, none of them can act to save their lives, a criticism which can be levelled at the male cast members, too.
Before the set-up devolves into the unpleasantness of the second half - reminiscent of Eden Lake but without the social commentary (or, indeed, any point whatsoever), there is a skinnydipping sequence where todgers get flashed, the women remain in their undies, and then nothing happens. What sort of film is this? It eschews a bit of salacious sex in favour of degrading violence. It seems as if the whole point of the film is to display violent unpleasantness to women.
Not recommended unless you are a violent misogynist.
This film is well lit, well photographed, has good sound, is set in beautiful countryside, and features five very attractive young women.
Sadly, none of them can act to save their lives, a criticism which can be levelled at the male cast members, too.
Before the set-up devolves into the unpleasantness of the second half - reminiscent of Eden Lake but without the social commentary (or, indeed, any point whatsoever), there is a skinnydipping sequence where todgers get flashed, the women remain in their undies, and then nothing happens. What sort of film is this? It eschews a bit of salacious sex in favour of degrading violence. It seems as if the whole point of the film is to display violent unpleasantness to women.
Not recommended unless you are a violent misogynist.
Awful but in the wrong way.
RatedVforVinny4 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A group of women are chased and hunted down by a group of men (located in and English forest). Poorly directed, executed and although highly graphic, not disturbing in any shape or form; in fact i find my own shadow more scary than this. Really avoid this one.
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