The Tunnel Review (2011)

Synopsis

A film crew learns of a government cover-up about the abandoned train tunnels beneath the heart of Sydney, and decides to go inside to try to find the truth. Very quickly the group begins to realise that perhaps the cover-up was for a good reason.

My Thoughts

Good Points

The Documentary Angle Works

The documentary setup is solid, and it makes sense and feels believable. The interviews cut in at the right moments, and the whole thing has that polished “true crime TV special” vibe.

The Tunnels Themselves Are Terrifying

They didn’t need much dressing up, as the underground spaces already look creepy as hell, and it’s the kind of place you’d really never want to be stuck in.

Atmosphere Over Jump Scares

The Tunnel takes its time, and it builds the dread slowly. Long stretches of silence, characters whispering, with the just the crunch of footsteps in the dark.

The Creature Is Kept Vague

Smart choice. You only get shaky glimpses or blurred shapes, and that’s way scarier than a full reveal for me.

The Characters

For a low-budget film, the cast handles themselves pretty well, and Steve Davis, playing the cameraman, is especially convincing.

Credibility in the Details

The film spends time explaining the history of Sydney’s tunnels, and that’s the kind of detail that tricks your brain into buying it as “real.”

Sound Design Does a Lot

You don’t always see the threat, but you hear it, with echoes, scraping noises, and movement in the dark. The sound fills in the blanks where the budget clearly can’t.

Smart Use of Budget

Speaking of budget, they clearly didn’t have much, but it doesn’t feel too cheap. They leaned into darkness and suggestion instead of trying to overdeliver, which works.

Bad Points

Natasha Screams Too Much

She starts strong but quickly turns into the panicky one who screams at everything, which gets a bit annoying.

Cliché Slips In

For all its originality with format and setting, the script still leans on familiar beats, and while it’s well done, you’ve seen versions of these moments plenty of times before.

The Ending

The film builds this strong mood throughout, but the final stretch doesn’t quite stick the landing. The last moments are fine, but they don’t leave the punch that the buildup deserved.

Performances Are Uneven

While Steve Davis felt quite real and natural, not everyone in the cast does. Some line deliveries land flat or feel too staged for a “found footage” format.

Is The Tunnel Worth Watching?

The Tunnel is a great example of how to do a lot with a little, and considering the tiny budget, it’s impressive how polished it feels.

It’s definitely one of the smarter found footage horror movies out there.

Well worth watching.

The Tunnel Trailer
The Tunnel on IMDB
Where to Watch The Tunnel