The Ledge (2022)

"A Real Cliffhanger"

Following its UK premiere at this year's Glasgow Frightfest, Signature are releasing Howard J Ford's THE LEDGE on Digital and DVD.

We're in Italy in the Dolomite mountains. Two American girls are on holiday with the intention of doing some serious climbing. Four American men just happen to arrive and move into the chalet next to them. There only appear to be two chalets, or if there are more we certainly don't see any evidence of any other tourists.

That night the girls are invited to a fireside party and things go horribly wrong, with one of them being brutally murdered and the other capturing it all on tape. But she's spotted and the chase is on, the difference here being that the chase is up a cliff.

And that's the raison d'être behind THE LEDGE, a film that shines during these beautifully-shot, frequently tense sequences. Unfortunately the rest of the film doesn't live up to these highlights. Characterisation is minimal, dialogue is frequently clunky (and at points laughable) and the acting can't save it because it's pretty much of the same calibre as the writing. 

It's a shame because if you can get through the rather awkward and contrived first act, once the chase is on THE LEDGE has some really decent suspense sequences, and the film only slows down when we have to go back to characters talking. But if you can put up with that and fancy a bit of tension and some amazing landscape photography then THE LEDGE isn't such a bad way of spending 80 minutes. Here's the trailer:

Howard J Ford's THE LEDGE is out from Signature Entertainment on Digital on Monday 14th March 2022 and DVD on Monday 21st March 2022