The Squad (2011)
"El páramo" (original title)

EL PÁRAMO un comando especial de alta montaña compuesto por nueve experimentados soldados es enviado a una base militar en un desolado páramo con la que se perdió contacto hace varios días ... See full synopsis »

Director:

Jaime Osorio Marquez

Writers:

Tania Cardenas (script consultant), Jaime Osorio Marquez (story),

Stars:

Juan Pablo Barragán, Alejandro Aguilar, Mauricio Navas

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Juan Pablo Barragán	...	Ponce
Alejandro Aguilar	...	Cortez
Mauricio Navas	...	Teniente
Juan David Restrepo	...	Ramos
Andrés Castañeda	...	Sargento
Nelson Camayo	...	Fiquitiva
Julio César Valencia	...	Robledo
Andres Torres	...	Arango
Mateo Stevel	...	Parra
Daniela Catz	...	Mujer

Storyline

EL PÁRAMO un comando especial de alta montaña compuesto por nueve experimentados soldados es enviado a una base militar en un desolado páramo con la que se perdió contacto hace varios días y que se cree fue blanco de un ataque... See full synopsis »

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Colombia Argentina Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

7 October 2011 (Colombia)

Also Known As:

The Squad

Filming Locations:

Parque de los Nevados, Colombia

Box Office

Budget:

$1,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alta Producción S.L. Unipersonal, Alta Films, Rhayuela Cine

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Disappointing

Unfortunately The Squad fails to deliver on its interesting premise and promising first ten minutes. Competent camera work and a decent cast is unable to make up for a lack of plot, structure or coherent direction. I can appreciate what the director was attempting to do with lingering close-ups of grim, suffering faces, subtle sound cues and atmospheric lighting, but one can only rely on those techniques so long before delivering some kind of pay-off. For me the film completely failed to rack up any tension or arrive at a destination. I was more concerned with wondering why the characters - supposedly trained soldiers in a war zone - were behaving more like angsty teens who've fallen out with their parents.

The message that in a civil war everyone looks like the enemy could have been portrayed far more effectively without tacking on a poorly-realized supernatural element. The film-makers tried to do both and ended up with neither. I hate using the word, but 'boring' really is the only word that comes to mind.