This hiper-realistic film is one of the most original serial killer films I have ever seen. The main character, Abel, is the owner of a boutique in the Barcelona suburbs. We follow him through his extremely boring everyday activity, arguing with his girlfriend, helping out a friend to start an advertising business, trying to sell his shop...an anodyne, ordinary life, except for the fact that sometimes Abel brutally murders total strangers with his bare hands. The unnerving thing about this movie, and what makes it a very disturbing experience is that no explanation is given for Abel´s killings. Actually they are shown with the same detachment as the rest of Abel´s boring activities. Even though there are no grisly details nor gore, the actual murder scenes are difficult to watch because they are shot in the same realistic, quasi-documentary style. On the other hand, Abel´s criminal activities do not interfere in his daily routine, so if the murder scenes were cut, you would see a fairly accurate description of the life of an ordinary young man in any part of the western world. This is not a film for everybody: there is virtually no plot, it is excruciatingly boring sometimes, and the violence is too real to be fun. But you should see this film if you are tired of standard horror films with hollow stories and characters. This film is virtually different to anything you have seen (except maybe Michael Haneke´s "Funny Games"). Although everything in it is familiar, in the end the film, like its main character, remains a mystery, an abyss in the midst of routine. There´s no final revelation or catharsis. Maybe that is why, unlike most contemporary films, it haunts you for a long time after leaving the cinema, even if you would not consider it a pleasant experience.
Review of Las horas del día
