Aftershock

In 2010 a magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred in Chile and devastated the country, causing hundreds of casualties and billions of dollars in damage. The horror and chaos that erupted in the streets in the immediate aftermath was very real. Aftershock is one such fictional story about a group of friends who are caught in the ensuing destruction and their attempt to survive. While the real life event is truly frightening, the film is anything but.

Gringo (Eli Roth) is on vacation in Chile with his local Ariel (Ariel Levy) and guide Pollo (Nicolas Martinez). Their fun quickly turns to horror one night when a massive earthquake triggers absolute chaos and the collapse of any authority in the city. Riots break out and prisoners run rampant through the streets, all the while buildings collapse from the numerous aftershocks.

Aftershock is billed as a horror film but frankly isn’t that scary. The first half hour of the film is nothing but party scene after party scene featuring the Zach Galifianakis look-alike Pollo and Eli Roth awkwardly hitting on Selena Gomez. It’s strange, out of place, and goes on much longer than necessary.

When the earthquake finally does occur it’s a bit of a letdown. Frankly, there’s nothing really scary about Aftershock as most of the moments are horribly laughable, such as when Ariel gets his hand cleanly sliced off from a falling shelf and then proceeds to have it kicked around on the floor by the fleeing masses. Scenes like this aren’t supposed to be funny, but they just are.

In addition to not being all that scary, the story isn’t that creative. It’s predictable, and while it does feature some decent special effects at times, it doesn’t even come close to living up Eli Roth’s namesake. It struggles along at a snail’s pace and the payoff is hardly worth it. Aftershock turns out to be a disaster movie in every sense of the word, unfortunately.