"Quicksand"
review by Diablo Joe

Audio version


"Quicksand"


If you grew up in the 60s or 70s, quicksand was a terrifying danger. The idea that one could be running or walking through nature only to be suddenly sucked down into a pool of killer oatmeal was the stuff of many a Saturday afternoon adventure film, and it was a deadly real worry to many a young mind. But then, for some reason, quicksand stopped being a “thing.” Maybe it was because the internet and those guys from Mythbusters assured us that you weren’t likely to find yourself quickly swallowed into the earth. Sure, you could get trapped, but the reality of starving to death or dying from exposure just isn’t quite the same kind of rousing comeuppance for a jungle bad guy, is it?

But that sort of drawn-out horror is perfect for eeking out tension over the course of a survival thriller. And, with a title like “Quicksand,” that is precisely what director Andres Beltran and writer Matt Pitts hope to deliver as they send Sophia and Josh, a married couple whose better relationship days have turned to bitter ones, deep into the jungles of Sophia’s birth country of Columbia. It’s no surprise that the pair find themselves trapped in the watery morass of the title and must figure out how to save themselves from the encroaching supremacy of nature.

As old a trope as quicksand may be, almost as hoary is the husband and wife on the outs who are brought back together by some calamitous situation that forces them to work together. This, of course, eventually leading to the start of reconciliation with one another. And it’s no surprise that “Quicksand” provides that same dramatic couples therapy. As a thriller, it definitely isn’t bringing anything new to the table. So the question remains, does it still provide enough suspense, danger, and thrills to keep an audience engaged?

The answer is yes and no. “Quicksand” is a mixed bag of hit-or-miss tension, marital politics, and human vs nature cliches. The film is well-made overall. It looks terrific, makes excellent use of its jungle setting for atmosphere and feel, and has some solid performances from its two leads. Carolina Gaitan and Alex Hawco are genuinely grating for the first third of the film. You truly believe these two are just sick and tired of one another. And as their situation becomes more dire, the actors’ charisma begins to shine through, convincing us that they once had some reason to love each other. Hawco, who resembles a younger, hunkier Saul Rubinek, is particularly likable with Josh’s tendency to spout wisdom gleaned from his Fodor’s Travel Guide to Columbia.

To the film’s credit, it does portray quicksand as less the inescapable speedy death of movie serials of yore and more accurate to the real world. Likewise, the film’s serpentine menace is given good reason to be less than friendly to our couple (though it appears suspiciously more boa than viper). Still, this film constantly reminds us of its assemblage of plug-and-play elements, from those already noted to its inclusion of an almost requisite pair of unruly jungle poachers.

“Quicksand” is far from a bad film, but its lack of originality and often outright predictability keep it from sucking its audience in and holding them prisoner.

This devil of a reviewer gives “Quicksand” 2.5 out of 5 imps.