Gabe Ibanez's stylish directorial debut is a stunning mystery-chiller concerning every parent's worst nightmare.
6 months after the disappearance of her son aboard a ferry to the island of El Hierro, young mother Maria (the excellent Elena Anaya) is summoned back to the volcanic environment after the body of a child is recovered from a watery grave...
To reveal any more of the plot would be performing a shameful disservice as this nifty genre piece has many twists and visual delights lying in wait for unsuspecting viewers. Cinematographer Alejandro Martinez's impressive widescreen compositions and washed out colours perfectly capture the atmosphere and feel of the protagonist's surroundings, turning the island into a character that appears to be manipulating the distraught Maria's emotions and sense of reality. A lengthy sequence on a deserted sun-drenched beach is executed to eerie, haunting effect creating a disturbing dream-into-nightmare set-piece.
Ibanez's measured pace and sure direction (with knowing nods to Lynch and Argento) bring proceedings swiftly and surely to a moving conclusion.
I feel the negative response from the Brit film-reviewing contingent re the 'signposted' twist-ending are somewhat missing the point, as the movie works perfectly well on it's own as a study of a traumatised individual going into meltdown. This isn't the tacky 'Gotcha-with-that-ending-didnt I?!!' M Night Charlatan wannabe that we've been lead to believe. No sir.
If I have any criticisms, i'd have to direct them at M de la Riva's Hermanesque score which, whilst being perfectly serviceable in it's own right, is often over-used to the point of obtrusiveness, particularly in scenes where the visuals and superb sound mixing are working perfectly well by themselves.
But that's a tiny discrepancy in an otherwise intelligent, first rate thriller. Ibanez is a name to watch.
6 months after the disappearance of her son aboard a ferry to the island of El Hierro, young mother Maria (the excellent Elena Anaya) is summoned back to the volcanic environment after the body of a child is recovered from a watery grave...
To reveal any more of the plot would be performing a shameful disservice as this nifty genre piece has many twists and visual delights lying in wait for unsuspecting viewers. Cinematographer Alejandro Martinez's impressive widescreen compositions and washed out colours perfectly capture the atmosphere and feel of the protagonist's surroundings, turning the island into a character that appears to be manipulating the distraught Maria's emotions and sense of reality. A lengthy sequence on a deserted sun-drenched beach is executed to eerie, haunting effect creating a disturbing dream-into-nightmare set-piece.
Ibanez's measured pace and sure direction (with knowing nods to Lynch and Argento) bring proceedings swiftly and surely to a moving conclusion.
I feel the negative response from the Brit film-reviewing contingent re the 'signposted' twist-ending are somewhat missing the point, as the movie works perfectly well on it's own as a study of a traumatised individual going into meltdown. This isn't the tacky 'Gotcha-with-that-ending-didnt I?!!' M Night Charlatan wannabe that we've been lead to believe. No sir.
If I have any criticisms, i'd have to direct them at M de la Riva's Hermanesque score which, whilst being perfectly serviceable in it's own right, is often over-used to the point of obtrusiveness, particularly in scenes where the visuals and superb sound mixing are working perfectly well by themselves.
But that's a tiny discrepancy in an otherwise intelligent, first rate thriller. Ibanez is a name to watch.