Plot
A young soldier, Kate (Zara Phythian), returns from a tour in Afghanistan after witnessing her boyfriend's tragic death in combat...

Release Year: 2011

Rating: 3.6/10 (355 voted)

Director: Rupert Bryan

Stars: Tamer Hassan, Barbara Nedeljakova, Ben Loyd-Holmes

Storyline
A young soldier, Kate (Zara Phythian), returns from a tour in Afghanistan after witnessing her boyfriend's tragic death in combat. With the comfort of her friends, including Torri (Barbara Nedeljacova), she takes the chance to get away on a camping trip to a picturesque, remote area of the British countryside. Wanting to escape their past, the girls begin their expedition into the woods for a peaceful break. As they near Sunset Point, they come across a strange and evasive group of locals who seem to be living off the land. During their journey they also have a friendly encounter with three charming, rock-climbing adventurers, led by Ethan (Ben Loyd Holmes). After the girls find themselves secluded again, Charlie (Jemma Bolt) suddenly goes missing, leaving the girls vulnerable in the dangerous woods. As darkness falls, the girls will be forced to rely on each other and their newly formed friendships to find Charlie before it becomes the last hike of their lives.

Writers: Ben Loyd-Holmes, Rupert Bryan

Cast:
Tamer Hassan - Dean
Barbara Nedeljakova - Torri
Ben Loyd-Holmes - Ethan
Zara Phythian - Kate
Daniel Caren - Johnny
Dominic Le Moignan - David
Jemma Bolt - Charlie
Lisa-Marie Long - Ellie
Shauna Macdonald - Helen
Adam Ray Young - Mikalos
Stephanie Siadatan - Leanne
Natalie Hughes - Anja
Joanne Nuttall - Harriet
Kasha Bajor - Anna
Emma Bulivant - Gemma

Official Website: Facebook | Official site |

Release Date: 3 Jan 2011

Filming Locations: Kent, England, UK

User Review

The Hike

Rating: 5/10

Kate, played by Zara Phythian, meets up with five old friends after the sudden death of her partner, together the group of girls set off on a camping trip to a picturesque, remote area of the British countryside. As night falls they are attacked and captured, Kate is left for dead after being pushed from a cliff ledge, which she survives. The girls soon realise their survival depends on each other. The Hike blends, I Spit on Your Grave with The Decent and is the first feature film written and directed by Rupert Bryan. Hostel favorite, Barbara Nedeljakova, won best supporting actress at The British Horror Film Festival for her role. The movie begins with a gripping cold opening scene and slick opening credits. The five women that make up the group about to embark on their journey all look very attractive, are dressed to kill, if not somewhat inappropriately for hiking, in skimpy clothes and high heels. Their questionable acting coupled with the unimaginative dialogue are initially easily forgiven, as most fans of the genre would just assume these girls have been chosen by their readiness to take their clothes off and shoot scenes of graphic violence. This is not the case. In fact, the whole film is relatively tame. It starts off well with good pacing and a reasonable attempt at character development. First-rate camera work, topnotch music and beautiful scenery give the low budget movie a refined, professional look. However, as the story unfolds through a series of unsurprising twists, it begins to feel rushed, and in places, it becomes difficult to easily follow the action. On the whole, The Hike feels like exploitation / torture cinema for beginners, for those looking to gently warm to the sub genre.

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