• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

DVD Review – Scintilla (2014)

August 19, 2014 by Gary Collinson

Scintilla, 2014.

Directed by Billy O’Brien
Starring John Lynch, Morjana Alaoui, Craig Conway

SYNOPSIS:

An elite team of mercenaries are hired to infiltrate an underground laboratory, deep inside a former Soviet state, to obtain a scientific specimen. Once they arrive they soon realise that this isn’t a straightforward recovery mission, and are soon battling for survival.

This film had a reasonable premise and the simple ingredients necessary for the basics of an atmospheric horror flick; isolation, claustrophobic situations and an enemy they’ve never fought the like of before. Unfortunately it doesn’t make the most of these and as a consequence it fails to deliver its potential.

The team, led by Powell (John Lynch), take far too long to get to the base and I was bored by the flashbacks of how some of the team came together; at times these flashbacks seemed to be almost randomly dropped into the footage and would have served better as a one-off segment. When Lynch and co finally get there and find their way below, far too little is made of the environment in which they find themselves; I don’t understand why the director didn’t make greater use of this simple horror trope, it would have gone a long way to improving the film.

After fighting their way past beings that seem to be extras from Glen A Larson’s Battlestar Galactica, the group discover what the effect the specimen has had on test subjects. Following an event that affects one of the two subjects, the other is no longer happy to continue and has other, predictable intentions; at the same time some of the group show their true colours and Lynch is faced with multiple battles.

Being predictable is something I don’t mind too much with a simple horror film; I come to expect it, as long as it uses these strengths to its advantages and also to hold my interest, something that Scintilla failed to do.

The cast make the most of what they’re given, with Lynch probably fairing slightly better when the lines were given out. If the film was chopped down, unnecessary padding removed and more was made of the claustrophobic position the team were put in, it would have made a decent 60-75 min flick. As such, its ignorance of the simple horror basics means Scintilla is too long, too slow and a missed opportunity. Scintillating it is not.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

J-P Wooding – Follow me on Twitter.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a film, TV and digital content producer and writer, who is the founder of the pop culture website Flickering Myth and producer of the gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket' and the upcoming suspense thriller 'Death Among the Pines'.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Can Edgar Wright conquer America with The Running Man?

10 Great Forgotten Movie Gems Worth Seeking Out

Speed: The Story Behind the Pulse-Pounding Action-Thriller

Fantastical, Flawed and Madcap: 80s British Horror Cinema

Ten Great Love Letters to Cinema

10 Great Modern Horror Classics You Have To See

10 Great Action Movies from 1995

7 Cult 90s Teen Movies You May Have Missed

Psycho at 65: The Story Behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Masterful Horror

10 Essential Frankenstein-Inspired Films

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Superman (2025)

Great 2010s Thrillers You May Have Missed

Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

7 Underrated World War II Romance Movies

Movie Review – Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (2025)

Movie Review – Sovereign (2025)

8 Great Recent Films You Really Need To See

Can Edgar Wright conquer America with The Running Man?

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

The Essential Horror-Comedy Movies of the 21st Century

10 Reasons Why Predator Is Awesome

Ten Essential Korean Cinema Gems

10 Iconic Movie Weapons Every Millennial Kid Wanted

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket