The Nameless (1999, Jaume Balagueró)

This Spanish horror film demonstrates that a movie does not have to be original in order to be effective. Many scenes in the movie reminded me of other horror films, but the atmosphere of The Nameless is intense and its hockey twists and turns delighted me despite the fact that some of them do not make much sense. The film begins with the gruesome discovery of the dead body of a little girl who had been reported missing. The girl’s parents identify the mutilated body, but four years later, the mother receives a phone call from someone who claims to be her daughter.

Nothing new here, right? Well, not exactly. The film kept me guessing until the very end, but the finale did not answer all my questions. And that is fine with me because I appreciated how the film allowed me to reflect upon what I had just seen. The Nameless got under my skin because the story gets progressively more disturbing. Many silly coincidences threaten to spoil the fun, but it is well-crafted and worth your time if your are a fan of horror films. I did notice that the English subtitles do not always match what people are saying, and the last line, which is crucial to the story, was not a literal translation. Luckily, I know Spanish, but it made me wonder how often this problem occurs. Anyhow, check this one out, I recommend it.

~ by gelpi2008 on Thursday, October 9, 2008.