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Mark Drake | ... |
Ralph Lowe
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Sophie Barker | ... |
Andrea Carver
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Rosie Akerman | ... |
Claudia Werner
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Miles Jovian | ... |
Lucas Burke
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Julian Glover | ... |
The Old Man
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Callie Moore | ... |
Gloria
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Jon Bartlett | ... |
Jon the barman
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Alexi Parkin | ... |
Arthur Smith
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Mia E.M. Chamberlain | ... |
Elizabeth
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Jj Borrett | ... |
Jack
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Jesse Kidd Moore | ... |
Jesse
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Mick Smith | ... |
Interviewer
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Stephen Carr | ... |
Jolly Farmer
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René Zimmermann | ... |
Senior SS Officer
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Ralph is a 26 year-old regional journalist who's been having recurring nightmares in German. To help him understand his troubling dreams, his friend Claudia, a 22 year-old hippie, uses her undeveloped psychic powers to give him a profound past-life regression, which floods his mind with memories of being a Nazi commando on a mission on the South Downs in 1940. When his visions of that past existence begin to take shape in his current reality, Ralph starts to investigate. In the hope of piecing together his previous life, he goes on a camping trip to the locations he saw in his regression. He is accompanied by Claudia and their respective partners, Andrea and Lucas, who are much more interested in each other than reincarnation. What none of them realise is that the past Ralph is trying to find is now stalking them, and plans to exact a terrible revenge on all four campers for crimes committed nearly seventy years ago. Backtrack is an intelligent and exciting psychological horror film ... Written by Mick Sands
The subject of this film could have been interesting, but the production leaves a lot to be desired.
It is certainly not the worst film I have ever seen (keeping in mind I am talking about several oh-so-long decades) but it is not a film I would watch twice.
The main problem with it seems to be the editing. Several scenes linger far too long without relaying anything to the viewer - they just hang there wasting time. One gets the feeling they were left this long just to fill up the time available.
Also in the edit, scenes which seemed about to lead to something interesting just lead to nothing much at all. One is left wondering what the implied drama was all about. A bit like waiting for a big rocket on firework night only to be treated to someone lighting their fag.
Continuity is another big problem. Someone (or some people) were not paying detailed attention! If you watch it you will see. Inexcusable in the modern age when a simple mobile phone is capable of recording details of a scene which can be used to set up the next scene.
As for the acting, well it is what it is. The cast seemed to stutter along like planks in a fence. A shame, because I am sure there is talent there - it either wasn't brought out because of the lack of director's skill (and editing again) or they didn't have the freedom to interpret their characters.
Overall I wouldn't bother with this film unless you have nothing better to do or are distracted by eating a very nice takeaway.