Blu-Ray Review: 247°F

Remember that old tagline for Jaws? “You’ll never go in the water again!” Well recently released horror, 247°F does for saunas what Jaws did for the ocean. Helmed by newcomers Levan Bakhia and Beqa Jguburia, 247°F is solid, trashy straight-to-DVD horror fun.

Scout Taylor-Compton, Christina Ulloa, Travis Van Winkle and Michael Copon star as four good-looking twenty-somethings who begin a weekend of partying at a lakeside cabin. However, things take a turn for the worst when three of the residents are trapped in the cabin’s sauna and another goes missing. As the heat gradually increases, we see a primal fight for survival take place.

247°F opens like your traditional teen horror – with the usual sex, alcohol and debauchery, it is when things transport to the sauna that things get interesting. Like many a good horror, 247°F (mostly) sticks to a single location throughout – the sweltering, clammy sauna. This allows Bakhia & Jguburia to amp up the claustrophobia making the feature a tense, and often uncomfortable watch.

Here traditional horror aesthetics are put to good use – including grotesque burning flesh and singeing skin, with the extreme surrounding resulting in characters becoming increasingly tense and overbearing. Lloyd S.Wagner’s screenplay does a reasonable job at maintaining interest and curiosity throughout the under 88 minute run-time and is likely to please fans in need of some quick thrills. However, it is unlikely to be one that viewers would go back to to rewatch.

As the gore becomes more elaborate, the young cast keep the film grounded. As well as looking good a pair of swim shorts or a bikini, Compton & Van Winkle feel convincing, playing their roles with an understated sense of realism and manage to hold audience interest reasonably well. Genre veteran, Tyler Mane is also on hand to add a welcome sense of menace to 247°F.

There is not a huge amount to 247°F when you get past the easy thrills and trashy eye-candy. It’s an entertaining and well-executed feature that serves as a moderately enjoyable way to pass an hour and a half.

RATING: 3/5

You can buy 247°F on from Amazon UK.