The Appeared (2007)

Malena and Pablo, two siblings on a trip through Argentina, find a diary describing crimes committed 20 years before. Then, they witness a family hunted down, tortured and murdered step by step following the facts described in the diary.

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 | operation condor | diary | argentina | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

TV-MA

User Reviews

An accomplished failure

It is such a good production from all points of view! Excellent director, actors, camera work, locations, editing and everything else that involves the making of a picture (the sound effects and the music are superb).

Unfortunately the weak point is the storyline.

The plot is so convoluted and totally implausible that only the excellency of the acting and the good tempo of the movie gets you in your seat till the very end of this picture. If you don't question all the time-jumps, time traveling and confusing apparitions it makes a fun movie to pass a couple of hours, but if you are the analytical type... forget it.

It's a real pity because the premise is very interesting --the Desaparecidos during the military dictatorship in Argentina-- in fact it is an Argentinian chapter as interesting as the civil war in Spain during the 1930s, but getting dead people appearing and floating in midair takes the whole thing to an Exorcist atmosphere that takes away all credibility.

Details

Country:

Sweden Argentina Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

12 December 2008 (Spain)

Also Known As:

The Appeared

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$284,801

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