The River

For better or for worse, the pilot for The River actually has all the hallmarks of a standard horror film outing.  As befits a creation of Oren Peli (one of the team behind the film Paranormal Activity), the camera-work is faux re-imagined as if it’s almost all hand-held or close-circuit footage. That’s a neat, stylistic-trick upon which to hang a format  until the wobbly camera-work starts to grate slightly and it begins to compromise the story-telling through some all-too-convenient placing as the episode progresses (“Oh, I didn‘t realise your camera was pointed at me as I explained the plot! *swoon*). It sets up the characters we’ll come to know over the following episodes, hints at their ulterior motives and agendas and then proceeds to kill off a few of the ‘spare’ characters just to show it means business.

Some of the scare tactics, familiar though they are, work well enough -  in particular we barely see the big threat, mainly being made to jump through sudden bursts of threat, then reactions and consequences and so there’s a tension on the screen that builds until moments of release as everyone gets increasingly more worried.

Though we’ve joked that the upcoming Alcatraz has some ingredients in common with LOST,  The River is the one that probably leans more overtly towards Abrams’ other ode to action-filled puzzle quests.  A stranded group far away from civilisation, a monster that lurks in the trees but is capable of becoming death from above (or below), the possible existence of ‘Others’ lurking just out of sight and more than a hint of supernatural forces unleashed despite warnings (Clue: if a bulkhead is sealed shut and has blood on the door, then DON’T OPEN IT before checking  the files you were told to check if anything bad happened to the original crew!). 

You can see why - in some respects - this was the subject of a bidding war between networks. The formula has a track-record, the creators have a pedigree and the casting is decent enough.

This first forty-four minute intro (for a proposed eight episode season) has potential and enough action to probably bring viewers back, but it will ultimately rely on what happens next. It’s all well and good to hit the right notes to begin with, but if the ‘music’ is blatantly familiar or less sweeping than it needs to be (and if too many questions are asked without answers - yes, LOST, I’m looking at you!)  it could easily lead to people abandoning ship very quickly - monster or not. 

 7/10