Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Have you ever been watching a movie that you found interesting or entertaining, then suddenly something happens that really catches your attention and draws you in even further? It's like you got hit. You sit up a little straighter and pay better attention from that moment on. Triangle is one of those movies. The first half of it sets things up to be what you think is haunted ship story, then it spins off into a whole new and profound direction. I told a friend that this is the sort of film that needs to be seen at least twice to take in all the information.

This movie starts out with what you might call a typical horror movie setup. Six attractive people board a sailboat for an afternoon trip on the water. Of the six, two are a couple and the other four are singles. While way out on the open water, a nasty storm brews up and the sailboat is capsized. A short while later, here comes a giant cruise ship that appears to be deserted except for one person seen briefly on the deck. The shipwrecked group climbs on board the giant vessel, and pretty soon they find themselves under attack from a masked gunman. A bunch of fighting ensues and the gunman is taken down about forty minutes into the movie, then a survivor looks out in the water from the back of the ship and...

I had the great pleasure of watching this movie without having seen any trailers for it. After I finished watching it, I found the trailer online and was glad I didn't see it first. The trailer showed some scenes that would have spoiled some of the movie's best surprises along the way. In my last few movie reviews, I've been ranting about how trailers ruin the movie experience, and so I've started including information on the trailer. Just trust me when I tell you that you will like this movie more if you go into it blindly.

Australian actress Melissa George plays the lead here. She's the mother of a young autistic boy and the first to figure out that things are not right on the ship. She has been acting for years and most recently appeared in Grey's Anatomy. She has also done several thrillers and horror movies, including the remake of The Amityville Horror and 30 Days of Night. The rest of the cast did a good job, though I only recognized one other person from other movies. Everyone speaks with an American accent, but all of the actors are either from Australia or New Zealand.

On Netflix, where I watched this movie via their streaming video service, it classified this as a supernatural horror movie. I think that's the perfect label for this type story. It is a horror movie in that the situation these people find themselves in is quite horrific, but it should not be lumped in with dumb slasher movies and the like. I will say there are a couple of rather gory scenes, especially one where somebody get stabbed about a dozen times, so be warned that this is a pretty violent movie. It is also rated R for profanity, but there was no nudity.

Triangle was written and directed by Christopher Smith, who has a few previous credits to his name. I had never seen any of his work before, but after having watched this movie I am definitely interested in his other films. If you like movies that make you think, I highly recommend this one. Watch it with friends and then see if you all can put together the puzzle that it presents.

Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age