Rent The Pool (2014)

De poel - The Pool review by NP

Directed and co-written by Chris W. Mitchell, this Dutch film introduces us to a group of campers determined to enjoy themselves however much events conspire against them. By events, I mean that Leannart (Gijs Scholten van Aschat, who co-wrote this), his wife Silke (Carine Crutzen) and his two sons discover unpleasant things about each other, as they do about friend Rob (Bart Klever) and his daughter Emilie (Jamie Grant). That's bad enough, even if, for the viewer, the myriad sardonic altercations are so true to life they raise a smile of familiarity (in some cases - not all). As a character drama, this succeeds handsomely. But there's worse to come.

When unpleasant things start happening, the images and moments are captured so fleetingly, that you're in danger of missing them. Suggestions of the supernatural, the possibility of nasty legends about the pool of the title proving to be true, and effective moments of realistic gore. You'd leave, wouldn't you? This bunch take a long time to reach that decision. Is it too late? I'm not giving anything away, although (for some, at least) you might guess the answer with a degree of confidence.

I had great fun with this, although the line between real and hallucinogenic is so blurred, we're occasionally flummoxed as to what is going on; and van Aschat and his fellow writers, isn't falling over himself to explain things. My score is 7 out of 10.