THE 7 is a very low budget rip-off of THE DESCENT, the Neil Marshall film about an all-girl group of spelunkers running afoul of something indescribably evil hidden in the depths of the cave system which they're exploring. This film tells almost exactly the same storyline, except on a really cheap budget so that you can't really see what's going on, everything is so low key and off-screen. Even so, the film has a better look and shooting style than I was expecting, and even manage to build some atmosphere, so it's of a better class than the real no budget amateur productions.
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Leofwine_draca12 May 2017
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jbrbsmom1 October 2017If they had named the main characters Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Fred it could not have been less cliché. Some of the main characters actually off themselves by doing incredibly stupid things, and you LAUGH, instead of feeling bad for them and I highly doubt that was intended.
I always wonder the stupidity of people who go into a cave without marking their path. Don't they watch this type of movie?
On the subject of the beast, you start to wonder if the thing is big or small and the reality of how these people are getting killed by it and it is fitting around these small places yet easily killing them off and what it is and then you see it takes these big giant craps and leaves these big gaping holes in people but fits through tiny narrow spaces ..it just is not a credible beast...it is shy, afraid of lights, goes for a killing shot, attacks for no reason and flies off? A
After watching these people stumble around FOREVER you root for the beast. And the guys big contribution is wanting to get laid before they die while the girls want to kill it. If this is your type of movie, go for it. I watched it because I was hoping for a great twist at the end. Didn't happen. I was waiting for Scooby Doo to appear or someone to ask the Velma chick if she had Scooby Snacks. -
troyinskeep25 July 2018Until IMDB either has writers that spellcheck their description or hires those whose first language is English every movie I review is getting a 5 or less no matter how good it is. It's getting annoying.
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troyinskeep25 July 2018There were EIGHT damnit. EIGHT died to that mutant bat in the cave. The teacher counts.
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I like monster movies, even bad ones. I like studying the genre. There's something pure about the sheer exhilaration of our deepest childhood fears coming horribly true. The 7 (The Oakley Seven) gets a point from me for that, and I certainly didn't mind watching it. At its heart it's about a childhood fear coming horribly true for a young teen. The movie would have benefited by staying in that childhood memory, which is the opening scenes of the movie, for a far longer period. If you are wondering at what movie might be suitable to show your 13 year old their first monster horror movie, well, you might consider this one I suppose. The story is full of holes and is a stock standard formula slasher teen horror adventure. Despite the fact her life and others depend on it, our lead fails to remember key details about her childhood monster until over half her crew are already dead. Before that you have to wonder at Henry Czerny's character taking 7 kids out to a secret and highly dangerous desert location in a less than modern bus without telling anyone where he intends to go. We're fobbed off with a story about a research fund he's after and no permission to take the bus and entrusting 7 teenagers, who obviously know nothing about geology or ecology (the grant apparently involves both) to help finish his PHD for him, all in a 3 hour field trip. Imagine ... the cave has bats, which carry disease, the desert has rattlesnakes (one of which, at one point, will prevent a decent escape route from being used) and Henry knows there is a creature of unknown species in the cave. The script for this is basic "teen" and not very imaginative, employing racism, sarcasm, a lot of talk about sex (none of it friendly), and progressively more swear words. In fact, when the group are down to the last two survivors, the boy asks the girl if they could have sex as he is still a virgin. Each time someone dies one girl will scream, and the others will cry, for me, not very convincingly. All the kids act 14, yet look 18. Numerous bends and turns of the "cave' distinctly look like the last set repeated. The gore is not believable, and besides, you don't actually see any violence. I understand the filmmakers here had no budget, but to make a monster movie where you know there is no money for an actual monster, well, even as satire, and given that this is a 2006 movie made well after the advent of CGI being available for home computers, well, you need to be much cleverer than this! I can only give it one point, and cannot recommend it. If it were made by a film student in their first or second year, I might pass it with a 5/10, provided their next effort shows marked improvement, particularly in the story/script department.
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"The Oakley Seven" is an excellent satire of horror film archetypes: The heroine, Ana Maria, a Mexican immigrant with a dark past. The love interest, Zeke, the rebel without a cause. The blonde bombshell, Jessica, the hot girl with an attitude. The troubled soul, Anthony, who hides behind his gangster persona. The cocky athlete, Jock, whose only goal is to get laid with his clueless girlfriend, Cosmo. Finally, the nerd, Janice, whose love for her teacher, Whitney, prevents the truth from coming out. This film is unlike most modern-day horror films, which rely too much on hyper-violent gore and not enough on characters. Great job!
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adinabaker16 July 2007Saw a screener of this, aware of the film's budget, and was pleasantly surprised by the production values and realistic performances. A similarly themed film, The Cave, with a budget over a hundred times greater, wasn't nearly as atmospheric (and definitely not as funny). Lacking the money to dazzle us with special effects (and who is still dazzled by them anyway?), the filmmakers put their efforts into artful set and sound design, lighting, photography, score and, most importantly, believable performances. The two leads were particularly good, with a sweet chemistry, and lots of star potential, and the bitchy blond was especially funny. If you need piles of fabulous special effects, this probably won't do it for you, but if you like intelligently crafted little movies, check it out.
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emilywille19 June 2007The film was a pleasant surprise.Unlike most current horror films in which the special effects carry the film this drama is a flashback to the older movies when acting was the most important factor of a movie. The believable dialog between the teen characters worked well. Also, because the film did not constantly show gore the actors and actresses maintained the suspense by their facial and body language. I too saw The Descent and enjoyed the special effects but can't clearly remember the characters unlike this film. The flashback at the beginning set the atmosphere for the main Hispanic character's fear in confronting her childhood "demon". This also made her struggles and heroism to escape the cave's confines more dramatic.
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Bambi20049318 June 2007This was a low budget film which showed that, yes, even without a bigger budget, a good film can be the outcome. Even though some say this is a low budget version of the "Descent" I found it to be more enjoyable, and the acting to be much more professional. A horror film can be just as frightening without the gore, which is what this film showed.
The filming and directing were excellent, as were the actors. They all seemed to work well together. I particularly liked the differences in all the characters, and the fact that the most unlikely candidate for a high school romance with a teacher was a geek named Janice. -
heretic4545 June 2007I am not a horror/thriller fan, but I went to see the film because I am a fan of the Directors personal story "My Backyard was a Mountain." Once again the director was able to pull off what a lot of independent filmmakers are trying to do. To be able to tell a compelling and believable story with a very very limited budget. With a setting that primarily takes place in a cave, throughout the movie I was wondering is this cave real? After the Q&A I asked that question. The director said that the cave was not a real one, but built for the movie. Wow!! Impressive! The director was able to pull all the shots. Making a cave look like a labyrinth when in reality it's a little stage is what I call a truly independent director. Another point of the movie that I really was impressed with was that he had a Latina protagonist. No, she was not a maid or a slut...but a leading role in a film that showcased her talent. This director probably took a chance at that because America does not feel comfortable with leading actors that are not white, but this young lady did a great job. With the little resources the director was given, he proved that he CAN direct. I just cannot wait to see the unbelievable magic waiting to come out on screen when this director is given a bigger budget.
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sandypfs5 June 2007I think this is a very complete movie. You can find romance, you're gonna laugh, you're gonna be scared. A very well done job with new actors and with a really low budget. You can tell they all worked really hard for this. This was the first time for Adam Shlachter directing. Congrats to him!. This movie shows that you don't need thousands and thousand of dollars to do a good film. You just need a good team. Director, actors, etc. and of course a good and authentic script. I think it has a very creative and humorist script although it's a movie. Special effects did a really good job. Don't miss it. Loved the ending! It keeps the option open for a second part!
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ReachinForTheStars10 June 2007I thought everything about this movie was impressive. Even though the budget was minimal, they made the best of what they had and did an incredible job. The shots of the cave were amazing and looked unbelievably real. The casting was absolutely perfect... every single actor made the storyline believable, and really made the movie. As shown in his past works, such as "My Backyard Was a Mountain", Adam Schlacter once again directed another breath-taking film. Continuity was great and the whole movie was so realistic. The ending was creative and well thought out. It left the movie open for even more possibilities. Also, I loved how you could only get a few glimpses of the monster before it would disappear. It added quite a bit to the plot and the suspense of the movie. I definitely would recommend this to anyone wanting to see a great horror movie with even better acting. It doesn't take special effects to make this movie a hit.
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sammystix5 June 2007Great work by Director Adam Schlachter with a solid ensemble cast of young up and comers. very solid ending that left me enraged but also twisted things a bit.
Maybe the dialouge could have used some tightening up perhaps and the fact that we don't actually see the "monster" works well for the film and doesn't diminish any production value.
Production value was solid and frame compostion was seamless through out.
Certainly a good thriller to check out upon a DVD release. I look forward to seeing more work from Adam and keep your eyes peeled for a young talented filmmaker about to hit the scene. -
Excellent job all around. Knowing the budget, I was stunned by the production values. Low budget filmmakers should definitely watch this; it is proof that it is the combination of writer, director, actors and DP that make a film and not necessarily the budget. I believe the horror genre is particular difficult--especially with limited funds. The suspense factor was perfect -- keeping one glued and wondering what was around the next corner. Most importantly, "characterization" was present, which is so often lacking in low budget horror films (and high budget truth be known). These particular filmmakers clearly know how to bring it all together and make it work. Kudos.
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Such a basic movie. Kids in a cave trying to survive, but with something like this you never know if they're going to throw a curve ball at you, and just kill all the characters and have a morbid ending. The sets were fine. They didn't show the creature till the end. That poor girl has been through so much in her life. It would've been cool if she climbed out of the cave and got her chance to beat the bat creature over and over with a shovel. please reshoot the ending to have this. The acting worked and made it more interesting. Didn't really have a problem with anything apart from 2006 filming quality. definitely worth a watch. Watch with a friend who also likes slightly bad things.