THE LAIR (2022)
RAF pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair (Charlotte Kirk) is on a mission in Afghanistan when she is shot down in the middle of the desert. Forced to evade pursuers, she runs into an abandoned Russian bunker. Inside she finds containers filled with strange humanoid creatures, who are accidentally released when her Afghani pursuers find her. She is rescued by a squad of allied soldiers who must now fight for their lives against these mysterious and very vicious creatures.
Flick is directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent) from his derivative script along with star Charlotte Kirk. It’s simply a very bad movie with ideas taken from many better flicks, even mimicking Marshall’s own far superior The Descent when the action moves to the bunker. The Lair feels more like a rip-off, where in contrast, Marshall’s Doomsday had the definite feel of homage, where, in that case, the familiarity was intentional. The acting, especially from the supporting cast is terrible with each character doing accents that one can only guess what country they are supposed to represent. The make-up and gore FX are fine enough with the creatures being adequate but forgettable human-alien hybrids. The CGI is quite cheap looking, as are the minimal sets in the sparse locations. In fact, the whole production has a bargain basement feel to it. Like one of those cheesy made for SYFY channel movies. It’s very disappointing coming from the man who made The Descent which is one of the best horrors of the early 2000s, not to mention the engaging period action/adventure Centurion and the before-mentioned homage Doomsday. Between this and the disappointing The Reckoning, one wonders what has happened to the once reliable Marshall. Flick is now available on streaming and VOD networks and will arrive on home media in December.
MZNJ Personal Note: I wonder if Lt. Kate Sinclair is related to future-set Doomsday heroine Eden Sinclair? Her mother perhaps?
-MonsterZero NJ
MonsterZero NJ's Movie Madhouse 