Let’s be startled.
Terrified is an Argentinian horror film that follows strange happenings in a local neighborhood.
Alright, before we even get into the plot we need to talk about the characters for a minute. Our people do not react in any way realistic. A man finds his wife being flung against the wall by an invisible force but takes at least ten seconds to react. The whole initial character reactions are just bizarre. It pulled me right out of the movie.
Many of the characters do a great job. It is just a bummer it is uneven depending on the scene. Some scenes are masterfully done.
Anyway, after some weird shit goes down (the whole wife being thrown against the wall by an invisible force) a group of investigators descend to determine what actually happened. They believe the husband is innocent, something we know as the audience, but he doesn’t do a lot to make himself seem not guilty.
The entire neighborhood seems to be haunted by something. To the film’s credit, it does not skimp on the tense moments. I like the more communal aspects we have here that shows it isn’t just one couple or person being terrorized. The addition of the outside investigators is also interesting as they aren’t so much the focus but rather a compliment to the story.
The film is almost episodic in its structure, which mostly works. I think their decision to order the events the way they do helps amplify the mystery as to what is happening. The slow burn style pacing matches as well and it all just clicks together.
The lead up to the meat of the investigation is quite well done. I found myself hooked into how all these moving pieces will come together. The investigation itself is likewise interesting, but more cliched. We get the experts with their bits and bobbles that aren’t given a lot of contexts for the story. Everything seems to have a purpose, I guess. Without the appropriate information it all comes across as a bit arbitrary.
The denseness of the characters returns a bit at the end, which is a bummer. I think once the film tries to get too science based, they have to reveal too much. We also have the late-in-game addition of a third expert who doesn’t fit the mold as much as the others.
The logic stretches further as the ending approaches. Whether the originality outweighs the flaws will ultimately depend on the viewer. I liked ideas here, a lot, and the first half of the film was great. It doesn’t manage to end as well, which is unfortunate.
For fans of supernatural horror, I think you’ll feel similar to me. It isn’t bad, but it won’t be the best film you see, either.
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