The idea that war is quite literally hell is quite intriguing, and writer-director Bassett keeps the film moving and us jumping with tight direction. The film is awash in mud, fog, rats, flies and, most irritatingly, pouring rain, which would drive anyone over the edge! Meanwhile, the characters are just distinct enough to keep straight, but only rarely drifting into stereotypes: Speer is the thoughtful but tough sarge, Rhys is the cynic, O'Conor is the religious loon, Serkis is the insane psycho, Fox is the dim-toff captain, and so on. And all play their roles with a certain amount of depth. But when you get down to it there's not much going on here, really, beyond a by-the-books slasher movie. Yes, it's extremely atmospheric and creepy, with a few frightening moments, but ultimately it's not terribly original. And writer-director Bassett never makes the time and place remotely meaningful, which is a shame.