Macabre…ish Horror Review: Elevator

by Kimberly Walker March 18, 2022

Elevator, 2012/ 84 min

In a 50 story tall New York skyscraper, nine people pack themselves onto an elevator. And it’s a good mix too, a claustrophobic, racist jerk, a spoiled child with her CEO grandfather, a pregnant lady, a smitten couple who badly need a hotel room, a security guard (Waleed Zuaiter), a former client who happens to have a bomb and they are all on their way to the same corporate party.

The door finally closes and begins it’s ascent when the spoiled brat, Madeline (Amanda Pace), hits stop. The claustrophic jerk, George Axelrod (Joey Slotnick), immediately loses his cool and starts to fall apart. All the button pushing and calling for help doesn’t do much. Even with the CEO, Henry Barton (John Gets), calling security and requesting action.

While they wait, they make awkward small talk that lets them all in on some secrets such as Henry Barton is retiring with a $75 million payout. And that Jane’s (Shirley Knight) husband had their money invested in Barton’s company and lost it all, then the loss killed him. The pregnant lady, Celine (Anita Brien), is pregnant by a mon, Don (Christopher Backus) on this elevator that is currently engaged to someone else, Maureen (Tehmina Sunny),who is also on the lift.

There is quite the potential powder keg here. And any one of these topics could cause a huge problem. Then suddenly Jane succumbs to a potential heart attack and everyone is buzzing with all the new info, her death and trying to decide what to do.

And if she does have a bomb, what are they supposed to do? And so they search Jane’s remains and they find it. Afterward, is desperate call for help to everywhere from everyone’s cellphones. And then forcing the door open and hoping to push a button from the outside. And the worst the can happen, does.

But the fight isn’t over yet, help does come but it’s not very helpful and it’s too late to save them all.

This movie is better than I could have hoped for. It has good pacing and a good cast. It get’s pretty bloody and somewhat graphic. Watching these people change from the beginning to the end of the movie was really well done. Also on the cast is Devin Ratray (Buzz from Home Alone).