Chill (chill)
Made in: Spain
Idiom: Spanish
Synopsis: Santi (Junio Valverde) is a lonely teenager who lives in Barcelona with his mother, Julia (Mar Sodupe). He suffers from a condition called photophobia, in which he is hypersensitive to sunlight. As a result, you can’t really do much during the day.
Other kids his age think he’s a freak, his father, Oscar (Paul Berrondo), is a compulsive gambler, and his best friend Leo (Jimmy Barantán) is a pop culture fanatic who is just as outcast as he is.
On the advice of his doctor, Santi and his mother move to a remote northern town, where the days are known to be short. The house they find is a bit rustic, but it has all the necessary comforts for modern life.
But like most horror movies, it comes complete with creepy shadows, shutters that rattle very easily, and an attic full of things that belonged to previous tenants. Yes, that is correct. Nothing out of the ordinary around here …
The owner, Dimas (Francesc Orella), seems fine, and although the school is not good, it is not as bad as in the big city. Santi befriends Tito (Pau Poch), a small boy for his age, and Ángela (Blanca Suárez), the attractive daughter of the local police inspector, Antonio (Roberto Enríquez). But before Santi can settle in, he learns that there is something strange about this quiet little town.
Something terrifying lives in the forest and is known for brutally attacking livestock. When he starts killing people, Santi is always around. Naturally, he is blamed for the deaths, or at least suspected of being part of them. But as the scares mount, Santi tries to solve the mystery himself with the help of his friends. And in no time, discover a dark secret about the small town …
The good: Cinematically, Tremble looks great and a lot of credit should be given to production designer Pilar Revuelta (who worked on The Pan’s Labyrinth).
The story is progressing at a good pace and, unlike horror movies made in America, the acting here is very good. Although the plot isn’t much different from a horror movie you’d see in America, the higher caliber of the acting gives the movie more depth and intelligence.
The bloodshed is not exaggerated. In fact, since many of the gory scenes take place in the shadows or under the shaking beams of flashlights, director Isidro Ortiz leaves much of the horror to your imagination. Tremble contains a lot of solid suspense and instead of being cheap, jump to you It scares, most of the spooky is carefully constructed and plays more on simple fears (being home alone, thunderstorms, getting lost in the woods, etc).
The bad: Tremble it does not make full use of all its main elements. Santi’s photophobia is interesting, but it never manifests itself in a major way. It would have been better if, for example, your “disability” became a strength at certain times. If you cannot go out during the day, then it is logical to assume that you are at your best during the night. Objective no. Here, he’s as scared of the dark (and ineffective in it) as anyone.
Tito has the potential to be an interesting character, but he just disappears in the middle of the story. And the love interest, Angela, is also underdeveloped. Without spoiling the ending, there are also a few minor questions of logic that will annoy you if you overthink them.
Who would like this movie?: You should see Tremble If you are a fan of foreign movies, and horror movies (particularly Spanish ones) that focus more on scares than gore. Parts of the movie will make you think of movies like Sleepy hollow, Lost Children, and maybe even the Blair Witch Project.
The general premise is quite familiar, but it is very well told. I guess this counts as a teen movie in a way, but it doesn’t seem cheesy or insult anyone’s intelligence.
There are no boob shots (which may be a disappointment to some), and since it’s made in a country with no drinking age, I was a bit surprised to see that none of the main characters (or victims) were ripped apart. Maybe that’s a cultural thing, which shows that foreign films are really educational.
For the most part, Tremble it is an engaging thriller. It’s not perfect, but it easily beats a lot of Hollywood stuff targeting a similar demographic.
(3 out of 4 stars)
director: Isidro Ortiz
Starring: June Valverde, Mar Sodupe, Blanca Suárez, Francesc Orella, Jimmy Barnatán, Roberto Enríquez, Paul Berrondo, Pau Poch
Review written by: Joe yang