Dead End

A very pleasant surprise. It’s quite rare to see horror so well combined with comedy. The atmosphere is thick and suddenly there’s a joke that will make you laugh, only to feel afraid again a moment later. And the most amazing thing is how well it holds together. The original twist also helps (I’m not taking the opening scene into account). The only truly bad thing about this film is its Czech title. (15/08/2007)

If you haven't seen Dead End, definitely give it a chance, because this is a pretty unique horror comedy. It's very good, and even though the story seems simple, it certainly isn’t a bad thing, because the script is well thought out and may surprise you towards the end. The ending is not exactly new, but it can still feel like quite a punch to the gut. (04/02/2019)

An hour and a half of skilled horror craft built on the most hackneyed genre clichés of a family lost on an unknown journey. It's shot with such elegance and focus that one can't help but wonder if everything that was supposed to work here is also working to its full potential. The gradation of tension is textbook, and together with the editing the cinematography adds a few moments when it is necessary to have a cardiologist ready to provide first aid. What does it matter that there are too many cracks in the family ties on one Christmas Eve? After all, the most surprising gifts are also given at the end of this happy day. The ending is far from happy and in terms of logic even a pedant would perhaps gnash their teeth, yet the effect of the "mouth-opening moments" is really strong, so why not tip my hat to the current representative of this genre by giving it a perfect review? (12/08/2006)

It's a strong star. It's Polaris. It's still 7:30. If only they'd show the dead bodies... I don't understand why the movie's all in red, but why not? Everybody likes something different; I don't like this. The story? It didn’t make any sense! And when you suddenly start caring about things making sense in a horror movie, something is wrong... I hope there are better horror movies. (05/09/2010)

Fans of the genre will surely be satisfied, the horror side of things is handled excellently, the atmosphere is perfectly tense for most of the film and the few funny lines and humorous situations can in no way disturb it. But don't look for a horror classic, it’s too much the B-movie, too predictable and clichéd for that. No, it's no shocking masterpiece, but as a suspenseful and brisk ghost story it works well. (31/07/2011)