25 years ago, a made-for-TV science fiction film sparked an entire generation’s fear of the Bermuda Triangle

For over a decade, the SyFy channel has been home to numerous guilty pleasure B-movies, ranging from Sharknado franchise to Lavalantula and the many Mega Shark photos. Yet there was a period in the early 2000s, before the network’s rebranding, when there was an attempt to create original sci-fi films as compelling as Hollywood’s big screen offerings. Among the original films broadcast on the airwaves, lost journey attempted to penetrate a territory neglected by the major studios of the time: The Bermuda Triangle.

Originally broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2001, lost journey took advantage of the craze for disaster films popularized by Titanic and associated it with 90s stranded ship films such as Event Horizon And Deep rise. Headlined by the legendary member of the Brat Pack Judd Nelson (The breakfast club, Fire of St. Elmo) and gender icon Lance Henriksen (Extraterrestrials, The terminator), THE Christian McIntire The film leans heavily on the supernatural paranoia of its main ensemble rather than the lackluster CGI effects of killer spirits and a cruise liner lost at sea. The 33% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes confirms that lost journey is not a traditional summer blockbuster but rather a B-movie that strives to be taken seriously. But somehow, the limits of the supernatural thriller pay off on an entertainment level.

What is “Lost Journey” about?

Paranormal researcher Aaron Roberts (Nelson) has been obsessed with the Bermuda Triangle since childhood, when his father and stepmother disappeared while traveling on a luxury cruise ship called the “Corona Queen.” He learns from a colleague of the ship’s sudden reappearance near the Bermuda Islands, which also attracts the attention of ambitious paranormal television host Dana Elway (Janet Gunn). Convincing Aaron to take part in a larger story about the discovery, the journalist assembles her camera crew as they join researcher, cruise liner representative David Shaw (Henriksen) and a salvage team to embark on an expedition to the abandoned ship.

Upon arrival, however, the team is surprised to find no casualties on the ship or any significant damage inside. Then a spiritual presence on board begins to eliminate certain team members while others are haunted by images of their deep thoughts.. Realizing that the Corona Queen’s passengers have fallen prey to spirits emanating from the Bermuda Triangle, Aaron and the remaining team must escape before the ship re-enters the mysterious dimension.

lost journeyThe performances are only slowed down by the seriousness of Nelson and Henriksen. Both actors have been accustomed to playing in the B-movie sandbox for decades, which allows their talents to take the supernatural concept seriously, unlike their TV co-stars. Nelson’s Aaron is deeply haunted by memories of his missing father, while Henriksen’s Shaw takes a pragmatic approach to insane situations similar to the characters he played in his collaborations with James Cameron. If the special effects in lost journey struggle to build suspense, Nelson and Henriksen do their best to suspend disbelief on an emotional level.

The “Lost Voyage” reshapes the myth of the Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle has often been depicted as an important plot point in blockbusters such as Airport ’77, Percy Jackson: Sea of ​​Monstersand the Black Jack-directed Gulliver’s Travels. Preceding another sci-fi thriller for the network, The Trianglewith Eric Stoltz in just four years, lost journey manages reframing the mysterious area of ​​the world as more than just the place where people, planes and ships disappear. The supernatural elements of the film play with a metaphysical shift in space, time and reality, where the rooms presenting the characters’ troubled pasts and self-centered dreams are more dangerous than the spirits. One particular scene features Dana’s much younger colleague (Scarlett Croatian) with a vision of replacing her as the lead investigative reporter on Dana’s show. The dream turns into a nightmare when the colleague finds himself trapped in a dark room, only to resurface later as one of the spiritual executioners.

Although it doesn’t have the high production values ​​of Ghost ship And Demeter’s final journey, lost journey operates on the basis of psychological tension and paranoia similar to The John Carpenter Thing. The low-key lighting of the corridors, which manifests as an intense hazy atmosphere and claustrophobic spaces on the ship, exceeds the limits of the unfinished CGI renderings throughout the film. What director McIntire lacked in budget, he made up for with subliminal horror and grounded characters unable to fight an otherworldly force. lost journey was proof that the old-school sci-fi channel was capable of making exciting TV movies rather than intentionally comedic fare.

lost journey is streaming on Prime Video in the United States.