An archaeological team discovers a pyramid buried deep below the surface. After further examination, the pyramid’s apex revealed that it was three-sided — something that has not been discovered before. The team of archaeologists heads out and discovers a tunnel that leads to the apex. When they break the tunnel’s opening, a poisonous shroud shoots out from the air and kills one of the team members. From that point on, they knew that they were not alone.
The Pyramid is one of those jump scare movies with scenes that you’d anticipate every now and then. Everyone is vulnerable thanks to creatures of the dark that cannot easily be destroyed and the fact that the archaeologists aren’t as fully equipped as Indiana Jones aids the suspense.
Tombs of Ancient Egypt have this sort of mystery and horror associated with them, which is why they’ve been used and abused by directors and game makers for years.
When done correctly, a horror-themed movie about Ancient Egypt, or any other movie genre that has Egyptian references, can be good and has been proved to be a winning formula. Remember the original Mummy film? It was a mix of adventure, comedy, and archaeology, and it worked brilliantly thanks to a witty script and Brendan Fraser’s likeable acting. The Tomb Raider video game franchise is also a hit because Ancient Egypt lore is rich and interesting, which the franchise used in almost all of the games. Even casual titles that integrate a hint of Egyptian religion and culture such as the uber popular Temple of Isis game attract people because they emit mystery and elegance. In short, The Pyramid wouldn’t have flopped if the filmmakers put some serious thought into making the movie. People are already attracted to the mysteries of Ancient Egypt and all it takes is a well thought out storyline to represent the era to succeed nowadays.
Perhaps where The Pyramid fell short is how it was presented. The film’s concept is good but the way the scenes were presented were mediocre at best.
For one, The Pyramid is a “found footage” film, which means viewers have to suffer seeing scenes in bad lighting and “shaking” motion. Found-footage films are very tricky to pull off, especially when the film is based on fiction. In the original Blair Witch Project, the found-footage presentation worked because everyone believed back then that the footage was real. But The Pyramid should’ve been captured using a more contemporary approach. After all, found-footage films are generally lazy and unsavory to watch.
In addition, the jump scares are pretty predictable. There’s nothing really to look forward to apart from the sudden appearance of the evil creatures that lurk beneath the tunnel.
As for the plot, it’s one of the situations where you know the protagonists won’t win. The moment you see what they’re up against, you’ll know that the ending won’t be such a happy one for the lead characters.
Overall, the movie is quite difficult to watch thanks to its found-footage format but the story isn’t the worst you’re likely to come across. If you’re willing to sit for hours to endure The Pyramid’s plot, then you should go watch it. If you’re easily nauseated with films like these, it’s probably better to select another title.