Storyline

Why is death and violence so fascinating? Is it morally correct to show violence in movies? If so, is there a limit to what we should show? That's the subject of Ángela's examination paper. She is a young student at a film school in Madrid. Together with the student Chema (who is totally obsessed with violent movies) they find a snuff movie in which a young girl is tortured and killed. Soon they discover that the girl was a former student at their school...

Plot Keywords

title spoken by character, dream sequence, oral sex, dark and stormy night, one word title, 1990s, asthma attack, asthma inhaler, character appears in newspaper, french kiss, madrid spain, matches, video camera, tv news, tunnel, independent film, snuff film, circular saw, editor, garage

Short Review

(The) director Alejandro Amenábar balances actual, terrifying visuals with Hitchcockian red herrings for one of the best debut films in years. The technology might be quaint, but the fear remains resonant.

Trailer