The UK has an interesting track record with military-themed horror movies. From Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers to Michael J. Bassett’s Deathwatch, it’s always a blast to witness hardened combatants face off against otherworldly foes and unfair odds. British director Nick Gillespie continues this entertaining trend with his sophomore feature Belly of the Bulldog (previously titled Tank 432).
Belly of the Bulldog stars an ensemble cast, featuring Rupert Evans, Deirdre Mullins, Michael Smiley, Steve Garry and a few others as a group of mercenaries and their human cargo who end up trapped inside an abandoned tank after being pursued by a mysterious figure. As their confinement begins to take its toll, these unlucky soldiers of fortune slowly realize that there’s more to their mission than meets the eye.
Though almost any horror movie where the protagonists have access to military weaponry or training will be inevitably compared to James Cameron’s Aliens, Gillespie’s feature is a much more claustrophobic venture into the human psyche, more akin to something like Vincenzo Natali’s Cube. Most of the film does take place within a stationary tank, but some clever directing keeps things constantly interesting. The tank itself ultimately feels more like an adversary than a location, as the protagonists’ forced isolation becomes more intimidating than the monstrosity lurking outside.
Luckily, there are more than a few talented actors trapped in this confined space with the audience, which also helps to keep things fresh. Since the plot itself is slightly too cryptic for its own good, competent character interaction is what really moves the film forward. Nevertheless, the vague script makes it hard to root for these characters, as you’re simply not given enough information to decide who deserves to survive.
In a way, Belly of the Bulldog‘s ambiguity is simultaneously its greatest strength and greatest weakness. While the story does a great job of creating suspense by limiting our knowledge of the mercenary group’s backstory and mission details, it also makes things hard to follow. This leaves the film feeling slightly muddled, with confusing plot points that make it hard to care about whether or not these characters will make it out alive.
Nevertheless, Belly of the Bulldog is a legitimately thrilling ride with much more up its sleeve than you might initially realize. The movie never felt cheap, despite the obviously limited setting, and there were some genuinely creative ideas being thrown around. The plot can be quite frustrating at times, but it’s worth hanging on until the bizarre ending attempts to tie up all the loose knots. If you can deal with leaving the theater with more questions than answers, than the film is definitely worth a watch.
