NINE LIVES

Nine former school friends reunite in a castle in Scotland for one of their birthdays. A snowstorm cuts off all contact with the outside world: the phone line is isolated, there is no cell reception, and it is impossible to use cars in the middle of the storm. However, this does not worry the nine friends much, who are intent on spending a nice night together. However, from the moment Tom finds an ancient book belonging to an ancestor of the homeowner, the young people begin to be possessed by a mysterious force that drives them to kill each other. Released in Italy only for the home video market and disguised as a "thriller" (the poster reads "The most gripping thriller since And Then There Were None"), "Nine Lives" is a ghost story with slasher movie elements, dating back to 2002. The first comment that comes to mind for the viewer as soon as they finish watching this film is: "useless"; it is indeed a shoddy attempt to add a piece to the long series of films that deal with ghosts and curses, but without the slightest attempt to create a minimally memorable, original, or at least entertaining film. For an hour and twenty minutes, we see a group of rich and very unpleasant young Englishmen "in" talking about themselves, their money, and, in some cases, indulging in gratuitous and laughable philosophical rants. Then comes the threat and the massacre begins: an anemic body count in which not a single drop of blood is shed, nor is the slightest tension created in the viewer, who remains there, passive, watching the events unfold wearily until a final that leaves the viewer with a sea of doubts, which could be translated as "plot holes." The direction is by the young newcomer Andrew Green, also the writer and producer; while the cast consists of young actors with little talent, including Rosie Fellner, David Nicolle, and Paris Hilton (already seen in "The Mask of Wax"). The lack of originality in the subject could have given rise to at least an unsettling spectacle, given the availability of an impactful set design and a story that could have provided chills at will if handled with the right craftsmanship. Alternatively, one could have tried the route of divertissement for horror fans by inserting some sexy scenes and abundant doses of gratuitous violence; but instead, it was decided to opt for this kind of slasher/ghost story hybrid with no appeal, failing miserably. Avoidable.