247°F Horror Movie In A Sauna, Based On A True Story

Before watching, I ummed and ahhed about streaming this horror movie on Amazon Prime, released in 2011, For obvious reasons. I wondered if the filmmakers would edge toward the gross side of melting people in a wooden container.

Trapped in a Sauna: The Heat is On

Or perhaps they would concentrate on the insipid craziness that’s bound to appear after being in heated conditions for too long. The trailer for the film hinted at the latter, so I decided to dive in and see if it could deliver the kind of claustrophobic horror I love.

Based on True Events… Sort Of

If you liked Landmine Goes Click, there’s a chance 247°F will pique your interest too. This is the directorial debut of Levan Bakhia, who also produced the aforementioned thriller, alongside co-director Beka Jguburia.

The plot? Four friends find themselves trapped in a sauna, and things get real hot, real fast. But here’s the kicker, it’s based on a true story. And not the kind of loosely inspired by fluff; much of it sticks close to reality, unless you count the “creative liberties” tacked onto the ending.

What makes this even grittier is that Bakhia, Jguburia, and the rest of the team hail from the same Georgian town where the original, skin-searing event unfolded.

The real-life survivors spent ten excruciating hours locked in a sauna, thanks to a careless friend who left, passed out, and forgot all about them. This, unfortunately, made the cut in the movie’s plot, and while it’s true, it’s a head-scratching choice. Because really, who forgets their friends are literally roasting alive?

A Sauna-Slasher (Without the Slashing)

247°F plays like a slasher movie, minus the slashing. What you get instead is a group of near-naked, conventionally attractive cast members trying to escape a deathtrap that just gets hotter and deadlier by the minute.

The horror setup isn’t subtle, it’s sweaty, claustrophobic, and leans heavily on the primal fear of slow, inescapable death.

Think Final Destination vibes, but with fewer elaborate kills and more thermostat-tinkering.

But here’s where it loses steam (pun intended): the characters are flatter than a pancake left in that sauna. You’ve got two bikini-clad women and one guy endlessly fiddling with a thermostat, breaking a tiny window, and sweating buckets.

For 90 minutes, the movie relies on heat, complaints, and desperation to do all the heavy lifting. Spoiler alert: it’s not enough. While a slasher can get away with thin character development, a survival thriller like this needs you to care. And you just… don’t.

A Hot Mess or Guilty Pleasure?

Despite its flaws, 247°F has a certain appeal. The true-story hook adds some weight, and it’s undeniably uncomfortable watching these characters slowly unravel in their human oven. The cast?

Easy on the eyes, which adds a layer of guilty pleasure to the whole thing. But when the sweat dries, there’s not much left to stick to your memory.

Ian: I don’t know. There’s something about her. Something about her I like.

Michael: I think the thing you like about her is that she was half-naked.

Our two stallions in 247°F face off about the girl who is single. Quote from 247 degrees true story

Full Movie Trailer for 247°F

I give 247 F

1.5 sweaty yawns out of 5

247°F

Director: Beqa Jguburia, Levan Bakhia

Date Created: 2011-09-01 16:50

Editor's Rating:
1.5