I'm a huge fan of Spanish and Argentinian thriller movies. I love my plot twists and Spaniards and Argentinians do it very well (see The Tunnel, Wild Tales, The Bar, The Orphanage, The Secret in their Eyes, Nieve Negra, Contratiempo, Abre los Ojos, La piel que habito, Tarde para la Ira, Lucia y el Sexo, El Cuerpo, El Desconocido and many more). Having said that, Eskalofrío isn't the best example of a good Spanish horror flick, but it's also not the worst. Actually it's better than many American fantastic horrors I've tried to watch but couldn't go past the first fifteen minutes. This movie has interesting premises, timely twists and reveals, besides a wonderful filming location (that deserved better treatment from the cinematographer). But acting is atrocious. That's what kills the whole buzz. The mother is played in such an unconvincing manner, by an actress that seems to be inadvertently flirting with all other characters. Either this or she's constantly zoned out. The boy is not such a bad actor but the shivering was just too much. The rest of the cast is embarrassing. Oh, and the plot holes... Enough to make a trypophobic's skin crawl. The last scene: totally unnecessary. It does not do the movie justice. A very cheap, unoriginal, not scary at all, jump scare scene. But throughout the film, the suspense had me on the edge of my seat a few times. I only wish this movie had been more carefully and professionally executed.
Review of Eskalofrío
