Deathwatch poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Jamie Bell, Rúaidhrí Conroy, Laurence Fox, Torben Liebrecht, Dean Lennox Kelly ... see more see more... , Kris Marshall , Hans Matheson , Hugh O'Conor , Matthew Rhys , Andy Serkis , Hugo Speer

Lost deep in the enemy territory of the western front during World War I, allied soldier Private Charles Shakespeare (Jamie Bell) and eight other British soldiers from the Y Company seek refuge in maz... read more read more...e of an abadoned German trench. Winding through the twisting tunnels through piles of corpses and hungry rats, the exhausted soldiers decide to hold thier position and await a rescue team. As the soldiers begin to fall prey to an unseen force, one by one thier numbers dwindle and thier suspicions of one another grow. A young soldier who illegally entered the armed forces at the tender age of sixteen, Private Shakespeare must now summon the courage to face an evil greater than he could ever imagine. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

44% liked it

6,982 ratings

Critics

29% liked it

7 critics

R, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Michael J. Bassett

Release Date: November 7, 2002

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 22, 2004

 

Stats: 424 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Andy Serkis
Upload a Photo | View All Deathwatch Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (424)

  • flixsterman
    February 11, 2012
    flixsterman
    "What is war if not mud, pestilence and horror?"
  • liquidchick76
    January 29, 2012
    liquidchick76
    We went in not knowing what the heck to expect, and ended up being impressed. The movie could have seriously kicked ass if they had done things a little differently, but it had a good cast with solid performances, (including Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, and "Colin-God-of-Sex" from L... read moreove, Actually) and Chris was particularly impressed with the attention to WWI detail. The story was decent, but should have been hyped as a psychological thriller a la Jacob's Ladder, rather than straight up horror.
  • itsjustme2004
    November 20, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    Not sure why this has such a low rating here. This movie was really well done. Great actors. Very eerie setting. Very "Twilight Zone-ish". Apparently, these men were stuck in limbo between heaven, and hell. Wasn't too hard to figure out, in my opinion. Hell won out with most of t... read morehem...
  • kiriyamakazou
    August 27, 2008
    kiriyamakazou
    If war wasn't horrific enough already then just imagine a haunted trench. It's a nice idea but poorly executed for the most part. For starters it draws no parallel with the actual war itself. It could be any place, any time The Haunting, Alien etc. Unlike Devil's Backbone or Pan'... read mores Labyrinth where war is used as a background for the more specific genre here the soldiers are completely removed from the actual events. We're also given a piss poor character in Jamie Bell. He sound as though he is trying to convince the others of the existence of Christmas elves as opposed to insurmountable evil. He has no urgency in his voice and it's no wonder nobody else listens to him. Add to that he is one of those annoying do-gooders who doesn't do the right thing until his mates are being shot in the head. Had he made the right decision earlier he could have saved us a lot of hassle. Serkis is unfortunately laughable with his "cor blimey, bollocks, come and 'ave a go if yer think yer 'ard enough" attitude. There's still some stuff to enjoy, such as the brilliantly constructed trench which is the most terrifying aspect of all. The costumes and props also lend to the authenticity. When the horror comes it is hit and miss but there are truly some great moments such as the barbwire. I'd suggest the Korean film R-Point over this.
  • harrycaul
    October 15, 2007
    harrycaul
    Bloody awful hybrid of war and horror movie, singularly lacking in suspense, potent atmosphere and period feel. It's often too dark to see what's going on but never interesting enough to care. Only likely to appeal to those whose idea of cinematic bliss would be watching Gollum, ... read moreBilly Elliot and that-twat-from-"My Family" mud-wrestling.
  • newvogueravyn
    July 11, 2007
    newvogueravyn
    I was expecting a lot worse, but it wasn't bad. It dragged a little in places, but the claustrophobic nature of the film seems to make it necessary to show how slowly they turn against each other (though personally I was all for shooting the guy with the knife long before they st... read morearted going mental on each other). The ending is very good, though I must admit I'm not sure if I grasped all it meant.
  • garyX
    March 6, 2007
    garyX
    An interesting oddity set in a trench in WWI. Nicely shot and atmospheric, this is a horror that refreshingly relies on suggestion rather than the usual bog-standard CG monsters
  • DrLappos
    July 15, 2007
    DrLappos
    This was a little odd but a good film
  • jusstpete
    May 13, 2012
    jusstpete
    An interesting oddity set in a trench in WWI. Nicely shot and atmospheric, this is a horror that refreshingly relies on suggestion rather than the usual bog-standard CG monsters
  • hangedwoman
    October 31, 2011
    hangedwoman
    This was a surprisingly impressive film. It was certainly helped by the subtlety of its concept and execution, but there are genuinely good actors here and a writer/director who obviously gave a damn about making a good movie (something even more evidenced in some of the deleted ... read morescenes). But certainly the subtlety helps; the film largely relies on the understanding that war IS horror and war IS evil and it affects all those involved, even the land itself. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that I wasn't completely happy with the film's resolution, and what few FX there were I felt would have been better had they been done with camera work or something similarly understated; it would have both fit the tone of the movie much better, and FX are one of those things that really shows when you have a low budget. But overall just a really good movie, the kind of gem you used to be thrilled to find on the shelves of your local video store back in the eighties

View All Deathwatch Reviews

Critic Reviews

Pablo Villaca
July 1, 2005
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

A ambientação chuvosa e lamacenta cria uma atmosfera claustrofóbica, mas o roteiro e os personagens estereotipados não conseguem utilizá-la de forma inteligente.

Brian Mckay
May 9, 2005
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

Acting, directing, and production values - all very solid. But there are a couple of major problems that keep Deathwatch from reaching it's full potential Full Review

Ian Waldron-Mantgani
December 23, 2002
Ian Waldron-Mantgani, UK Critic

It's horror crossed with a war movie, and if you suspect this might mean it consists of men running around in mud while eerie music plays on the soundtrack, you would be correct.

Derek Elley
March 26, 2009
Derek Elley, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

December 6, 2005
Film Threat

Click to read the article Full Review

June 1, 2003
Empire Magazine

Click to read the article Full Review

January 16, 2003
Film Threat

Click to read the article Full Review

Nev Pierce
December 7, 2002
Nev Pierce, BBC

Click to read the article Full Review

January 26, 2006
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

Christopher Tookey
December 15, 2003
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • R-Point
    R-Point (100%)
  • The Bunker
    The Bunker (100%)
  • Outpost
    Outpost (100%)

More Movies like Deathwatch

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Deathwatch : Watch Free on TV

Deathwatch Trivia

  • Before Peter Jackson's King Kong in 2005, in which movie do Andy Serkis and Jamie Bell appear together?  Answer »
  • In Which film did 'Billy Elliot' star Jaimie Bell play a young soldier named Shakespeare?  Answer »
  • All Quiet on the Western Front and Deathwatch are films both associated with which conflict?  Answer »
  • Which movie was about 9 British soldiers during a trench war in the middle of World War 1?  Answer »
More Deathwatch Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Deathwatch Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Deathwatch to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?