The Appeared (2007)

One night Malena and Pablo, a sister and brother traveling together in Argentina, discover a diary that details crimes committed twenty years ago. That same night, the past and present ... See full summary »

Director:

Paco Cabezas

Writer:

Paco Cabezas

Stars:

Ruth Díaz, Javier Pereira, Pablo Cedrón

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ruth Díaz	...	Malena
Javier Pereira	...	Pablo
Pablo Cedrón	...	Gabriel De Luca
Leonora Balcarce	...	Amalia Leonardi
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Héctor Bidonde	...	Daniel Lerhmann
Paco Cabezas	...	Tv Chainsaw Psycho Killer
Dámaso Conde	...	Jimmy 'Pinche' McLaine
Luciano Cáceres	...	Manuel Leonardi
Daniel Galanz	...	Cirujano joven
Silvia Geijo	...	Camarera
Carolina Hernández	...	Enfermera Centro Médico
Darío Levy	...	Policía Principal
Federico Marrale	...	Policía Joven
Elisa Martín	...	Chica bosque
Sergio Podelei	...	Hombre Depósito (as Sergio Podeley)

Storyline

One night Malena and Pablo, a sister and brother traveling together in Argentina, discover a diary that details crimes committed twenty years ago. That same night, the past and present intertwine; before the siblings' helpless eyes, a family is persecuted, tortured, and murdered step-by-step in the manner described in the diary. The siblings' trip becomes a nightmare, in which they don't know if the people whom they're trying to save are real... or manifestations of something that occurred twenty years ago. Following the trail of 'the disappeared', they discover that, beyond the fiction, the true horror is hidden in the reality: 30 000 people were kidnapped, tortured, and murdered under Argentina's military dictatorship. The people forget, but the pain, as a physical presence, lives on.

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Plot Keywords:

murder of a pregnant woman | murder | diary | argentina | the past | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

Sweden Argentina Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

12 December 2008 (Spain)

Also Known As:

The Appeared

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jaleo Films, Oberón Cinematográfica, Pensa & Rocca Producciones

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

APARECIDOS (dir. Paco Cabezas, 2007)

Following a visit to their comotosed, estranged father, brother and sister, Pablo and Malena, find an old diary which in turn leads them to strange and haunting discoveries and situations.

This co-Argentine-Spanish offering (translated as The Appeared) falls into similar territory as Los Cronocrímenes, Intacto, and Fermat's Room, in the fact that the viewers expectations are stretched, the narrative constantly changing. What is fun, if somewhat frequently implausible, is the many situations the protagonists get themselves into. Each set piece covers familiar ground to standard horror conventions (we get the slasher-killer; the road chase with the 'unseen' driver; haunted house scares), yet always done with the reign pulled tight as not to fall into parody.

Add into the mix historic elements, where we discover the truth about the people and locations that Pablo and Malena find themselves involved with, as well as a truly haunting ending, and you have a neat, ambitious ghost story which although may not fully succeed, in the most part holds the viewers interest throughout.