The Lair (2022) is a creature feature directed by Neil Marshall. It deals with a shot down Air Force pilot shot down in a desert that finds a bunker filled with deadly creatures. Below is my The Lair (2022) movie review.
This is a really hard movie to judge. On one hand, it has some decent creature feature kills similar to monster movies of the 80s and 90s. On the other hand, these creatures look very rubbery, the characters are bland, and the special effects are nothing special. It does not make the movie boring but forgettable.
Anyway, when we are met with the main character, she comes off as tough as nails heroine. She escapes a bunker and finds herself among soldiers nearby who are very bland. They don’t have much of a background or a personality. Instead they are a group of stereotypical people. Think of one as a girl with ass, hard as nails sergeant, annoying comic relief, fake British guy, and a sassy black girl. They are very boring and the dialogue they are given is serviceable but not great.
In terms of action, it is all over the place. Some are good, while there are many scenes that are quite dumb. There is one scene where a soldier is hitting a monster with a pipe and it just stands there while he hits it many times to crack its skull. Also multiple scenes of people being heroes and blowing themselves up. There is also a lot of fake blood. It is mainly present when one is hitting the creatures, but it can be distracting sometimes. Besides that, the action is fine but the characters made a good amount of dumb moves that got them hurt/killed.
When it comes to creatures, as mentioned they are very rubbery. It is very clear they are played by men in suits. In one scene one of them even does something equivalent to a barrel roll across a table. Looked very goofy. Also, they are very bland. They have teeth and claws but otherwise look like humans. I expected something more unique and memorable. They also have very questionable weaknesses. Sometimes you can kill them with pipes/pans while other times ten shots with a gun does not bring them down. Finally they have a tongue thing they use in one scene which was unique but was never used again.
Overall the movie is not necessarily bad, but it definitely does not warrant a second viewing. From bland characters to boring creatures, the movie feels like it drags a bit for 95 min. Good for one viewing but that’s all you get out of it.
Thanks for reading my The Lair (2022) movie review.
