I love disaster films and creature features, and it is rare that the two are combined. It is even rarer that that combination creates a movie which is so good you immediately want to watch it again. D-Railed is that rare pearl in a clam.
D-Railed starts off with several passengers boarding a train to take part in a roaring ’20s murder mystery game. Evelyn (Carter Scott) is the first passenger we meet and she is there to support her friend who is part of the cast. She is greeted by young Abigail (Shae Smolik), who is there with family friend Antonia (Leticia LaBelle). They are joined at their table by Marcus (Daniel O’Reilly). This is his 15th time doing one. Unlike Everette Thomas (Wallin) who is making the trip for the first time.
Things start off simply enough. The Host (Frank Lammers) does his schpeal and everyone feels like they are part of the show. Then the lights go out and he literally has been stabbed in the back. At first, they think is part of the game until they realize he is really dead.
GiGi (Tonya Kay) and Clyde (Ben Hopkins) have decided to hijack the train. They ask all of the passengers to give them their jewelry. As everything is being collected, Clyde goes to the conductor and tells him to stop the train so that they could get off. The two of them get into a fight and both wind up dead. Now the train is speeding up as they near a deadly curve. When Gigi won’t let them try to stop the train before it is too late, they run to the back of the train for safety.
Good thing they did because the train derails and goes into the water. Since they were in the last car, they survived. However, they are still stuck and the water is starting to fill their car. They try to escape, but the nearest land is a few hundred yards away. As one of them attempts to swim to land, something attacks and kills him. One by one they are killed off by this mysterious creature.
Will any of them survive? I cannot tell you. What I can tell is there is a surprise twist ending that I did not see coming. And I am pretty good at seeing the shocking ending.
D-Railed has three different themes going on in the movie, and yet they blend them all together brilliantly. The first part surviving the bad guy is just long enough that you don’t get bored. Then it is time to survive the crash which is suspenseful enough. However, it becomes even more of a nail biter as the creature devours them one at a time.
The movie did not depend heavily on CGI. They let the story be told as though it were real life and not a computerized version of it. It is the back to basics approach that makes this thrill ride even more thrilling.
The movie goes by faster than a train that is late for its next stop. At no point does it drag on. It is all perfectly timed out to give it the right amount of excitement.
Talking about excitement, legendary Lance Henriksen had a nice cameo in the film. But I have said too much.
I also cannot say enough good things about D-Railed that is out on home video now.
