The Objective (2008)

Last night I was searching for something to watch as the wife was making jewelry and watching Dancing With The Stars. What I found was the interesting 2008 supernatural horror film The Objective. Having spent some time in the Middle East, I wanted to see how realistic the film was and honestly, what I found was quite a surprise.

Plot/ In Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, a Special Forces team meets CIA Agent Benjamin Keynes, who explains their mission to find a very important Afghan cleric by the name of Mohammad Aban. The team leader, Wally Hamer sends the men to ready themselves. After being inserted, the team finds a local guide, Abdul, in a village in Southern Afghanistan, where the cleric is from. Together, they set out for the mountains, where the cleric is reputed to be hiding. As they head further into the mountains, they begin to have strange encounters, first with armed gunmen, who simply disappear when shot, later with strange forces. The further they go, the more dangerous it becomes, as the team realizes they are looking not for someone, but something that may not be of this world.

When I saw that this movie was written and directed by Daniel Myrick of Blair Witch Project fame, I did not know what to expect. However, I soon discovered an interesting psychological thriller / horror that took me back to the Sci-fi / Horror combos of my youth. Overall, the writing, acting and plot are all excellent within the confines of the supernatural horror and psychological terror being displayed. The movie did lack on the effects, but to be honest that is a relief considering the trash that is being created by CGI today and the ending left a bit to be desired as I still have some doubt about what really happened. Overall, it was a fresh take on a film within the horror / thriller genre and a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.