Without Warning is a story about four college aged friends who are going on a lake camping trip. Little do they know that they are driving into danger, into a pure nightmare.
The four teens stop by to get gas and meet a few strange characters. One is an old Vietnam vet who is still a little shell shocked, even after being back in America for a number of years. He seems a little unstable and the teens steer clear of the vet. Then, they go in to pay for the gas and meet another older gentleman. His name is Taylor and he warns them not to go out to the lake. Tells them it is dangerous.
The teens ignore him and head out to the lake. While there, two of the group--Greg and Sandy--head off into the woods for a walk. The other two stay behind to have sex. Greg and Sandy wander around trying to get their radio to work. When they finally return their friends are missing.
Greg and Sandy go out searching for their friends and stumble upon a shack full of dead bodies. They are then attacked by an Alien and hurry off towards town. They go to a local bar where they ask for help. The vet and Taylor are both there and believe them about the Aliens. They want to help Greg and Sandy but things get crazy when the vet loses it and the Alien begins to hunt them down.
At first I was a little unsure about the acting, but I quickly forgave any minor slip-ups due to the fact that the film is a B-film. As the film went on the acting only seemed to get better. The movie manages to have realistic emotional moments which are easy to believe--an element often missing in most horror/slasher films. The two main character, Greg and Sandy, give wonderful performances that carry the film.
I was also impressed with the film's cinematography. The film starts out with a POV camera pan that is similar to the of Evil Dead. There are many shots that are timed perfectly, lingering just long enough to keep us tense--waiting for the alien to pop out and attack out heroes.
However, these lingering shots and the slowly building plot make it so the film drags somewhat in the middle. I feel like the story spent a little too long concentrating on the vet and his declining sanity. However, good performances make this slow portion of the film fairly palatable. The plot quickly jumps back into the tense moments, keeping us on edge the entire rest of the film.
Summing it Up
Deaths: 8
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 1
Scare Factor: 4
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 5