A Lonely Place to Die

A group of rock climbers amidst the isolated crags and dangerous cliffs of Scotland make a shocking discovery that imperils their lives: a little girl, speaking no English, is entombed alive, in the middle of nowhere. Freeing her from an underground cell, the would-be rescuers suddenly find themselves stalked by cold-hearted criminals who will stop at nothing to get the child back in a relentless pursuit that eventually spills into the nearest human habitation (where a strange, fiery neo-pagan street festival is inexplicably underway). The premise of adrenaline-junkie thrill seekers suddenly thrown from the artifice of extreme sports into a situation of very real danger is not exactly new, but writer-director Julian Gilbey keeps the suspense-survival action relatively taut and lean here. Nobody is forced to make crossbows out of twigs to fight back here, although a few oh-please moments surface as token American heroine (Melissa George) proves to be amazingly bulletproof and injury-resistant compared to the rest of the unfortunates in the cast. A strong optional purchase. (C. Cassady)