At first I didn't really know if I should even watch it, since we have seen so many found footage movies already, and he only got 4.8 points here. But then a friend told me I have to watch this, and he was right! I have no idea why this movie got so few points (except perhaps because the end was such a let down), it has deserved more!!! This movie has a very thick atmosphere,especially SPOILER
SPOILER all the parts done in this labyrinth are awesome. During the days you already get an eerie atmosphere, but during the night shots it is simply amazing !!! SPOILER END
Another big plus for me is that at no point I asked myself why the hell are they still filming ??? SPOILER
SPOILER Fernando Barreda Luna found a pretty clever solution for that, they needed the night view of their cameras to see something in the dark. They couldn't use their flashlights or who ever was after them could have easily found them. SPOILER END
I must give it to him, that was a clever idea, and it fitted in really natural. You don't get the feeling OK, he had a clever idea here, no, it is just a part of the plot that I didn't even really realize during the movie. Only after it I suddenly thought "Hey, that was clever, since usually that's exactly the point where found footage films mess up" Usually EVERY found footage film has this weak point that you ask yourself why are they filming this, but he managed to find a good way to explain it, that felt in no way artificial or anything like that.I also really liked how he build up the suspension really slow but steady. Often you think that now something really bad will happen SPOILER
SPOILER for example when the camera observes the dog at night, but nothing big happened,and yet you are left with a really unsettling feeling. SPOILER END
Towards the end the suspension is so tight it is almost unbearable
SPOILER for example when he is sitting on his bed after he fled to his room and barricades himself in. That scene is pure genius, you wait and wait that the axe is coming through that door, and the suspension was already near the limit before already,and then he just sits there. NOTHING happens for well over 2mins, yet this is one of the most unnerving scenes in the whole movie ! That one scene really shows the quality of Fernando Barreda Luna. In those 2 minutes your head is spinning like a roller-coaster, despite the fact nothing happens. This is so hard to do, but he pulls if of like a boss ! RESPECT !!!
Now so far the movie was an absolutely brilliantly done film, but as soon as that door opens he suddenly messes up completely !!! It starts with the first time that he is filming where I thought why the hell is he filming this. So far the filming was always a logical part of the plot, and now this,and it is only downhill from now on ! This sudden introduction of a new character, the crazy axe killer, feels completely artificial, like he had some footage left from another movie and needed a few more minutes of film, so he used what he had lying around ^^
You also get the feeling he had no idea how to end the movie,and suddenly they started shooting and he had to come up with something in a hurry. I mean the introduction of that crazy chick at the end could have been a good idea, if the film would have been at least 20 minutes longer, so he has time to really tell her story, but like this ? You also don't get to see how the 2 older siblings end. etc.etc. it is all just a big mess in the end SPOILER END
SPOILER all the parts done in this labyrinth are awesome. During the days you already get an eerie atmosphere, but during the night shots it is simply amazing !!! SPOILER END
Another big plus for me is that at no point I asked myself why the hell are they still filming ??? SPOILER
SPOILER Fernando Barreda Luna found a pretty clever solution for that, they needed the night view of their cameras to see something in the dark. They couldn't use their flashlights or who ever was after them could have easily found them. SPOILER END
I must give it to him, that was a clever idea, and it fitted in really natural. You don't get the feeling OK, he had a clever idea here, no, it is just a part of the plot that I didn't even really realize during the movie. Only after it I suddenly thought "Hey, that was clever, since usually that's exactly the point where found footage films mess up" Usually EVERY found footage film has this weak point that you ask yourself why are they filming this, but he managed to find a good way to explain it, that felt in no way artificial or anything like that.I also really liked how he build up the suspension really slow but steady. Often you think that now something really bad will happen SPOILER
SPOILER for example when the camera observes the dog at night, but nothing big happened,and yet you are left with a really unsettling feeling. SPOILER END
Towards the end the suspension is so tight it is almost unbearable
SPOILER for example when he is sitting on his bed after he fled to his room and barricades himself in. That scene is pure genius, you wait and wait that the axe is coming through that door, and the suspension was already near the limit before already,and then he just sits there. NOTHING happens for well over 2mins, yet this is one of the most unnerving scenes in the whole movie ! That one scene really shows the quality of Fernando Barreda Luna. In those 2 minutes your head is spinning like a roller-coaster, despite the fact nothing happens. This is so hard to do, but he pulls if of like a boss ! RESPECT !!!
Now so far the movie was an absolutely brilliantly done film, but as soon as that door opens he suddenly messes up completely !!! It starts with the first time that he is filming where I thought why the hell is he filming this. So far the filming was always a logical part of the plot, and now this,and it is only downhill from now on ! This sudden introduction of a new character, the crazy axe killer, feels completely artificial, like he had some footage left from another movie and needed a few more minutes of film, so he used what he had lying around ^^
You also get the feeling he had no idea how to end the movie,and suddenly they started shooting and he had to come up with something in a hurry. I mean the introduction of that crazy chick at the end could have been a good idea, if the film would have been at least 20 minutes longer, so he has time to really tell her story, but like this ? You also don't get to see how the 2 older siblings end. etc.etc. it is all just a big mess in the end SPOILER END