Saturday, October 31, 2015

The House At The End Of Time

 (2013)****1/2

Near the end of October as our lists draw to a close I begin second guessing some of my finishing choices so I surf Netflix or one of my other go to sites trying to find that hidden treasure I might have missed. Last night Tony & I struck gold by way of this Spanish film. The film opens with a panicked woman who awakens on the floor by a broken mirror she grabs a shard of glass then goes down to the creepiest basement I've ever seen shouting,  "Leopoldo!" She finds a man (her husband) dead on the floor and her son Leopoldo is standing in a doorway but before she can get to him he is pulled through the doorway and the door slams shut. She is consequently arrested for the murder of her husband and son who is still missing and assumed dead. After 30 long years she is released and brought back to this frightening house that ruined her life. Almost immediately things start happening, she hears noises, banging on the walls and furniture is overturned. A priest comes to visit her and she is prompted to tell him the story of what really happened, at least as much as she knows. The story slowly unfolds like a rose in bloom.


Original, intelligent and truly frightening. This is an atmospheric, well acted tale that kept me engaged the entire time. When each layer of the story is revealed it delivers an aha moment that refreshingly takes things in an unexpected direction. It is such a pleasure to watch when a filmmaker gets it right. Most definitely biddy safe as well so if any of you are looking for a good one to close out with I recommend you give it a go.

5 comments:

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Damn Catfreeek you found some gems this year. Even more than usual! I think I'm gonna go out with Starry Eyes but if I can fit another one in...

7ofNine said...

This one was a good story! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and appreciated how it gave closure, but still had me thinking about it well after. The character development had me caring, the variety in settings kept the story moving, the music melted into the background but set the mood, and the story itself was interesting. Yeah, nicely told. Totally biddy safe, too!

(What was with the keys to all he rooms in the house? Is it a cultural/country-specific thing? Just curious if anyone knows...if you've seen it, that is. Not a spoiler, btw.)

AC said...

Sounds just great! Our final movie decision was taken out of our hands because we ended up going over to Halloween with friends, but this was on the short list. Maybe next year!

Trevor said...

That does sound really good - and on netflix! So convenient. I'm surprised I've never heard of it. The trick will be trying to remember it for next year. After October, I usually take a break from horror for a few months. But, maybe this'd be a good off-season view.

Octopunk said...

Score! Another winner from Cat. How nice after the fat blue guy (snicker).

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...