"Kilómetro 31" is a rather impressive and fun, yet still slightly flawed ghost film.
**SPOILERS**
After her sister's accident, Catalina, (Iliana Fox) discovers that she was injured at a stretch of the road known to the locals as Kilometer 31. Along with her friend Nuno, (Adria Collado) and her boyfriend Omar, (Raul Mendez) she decides to head out to the area and find out more about the tragic accident. Reaching the town of the accident, they find that the locals are afraid of the stretch of the road due to a series of strange hauntings from a child-like ghost that haunts the area. When they come into contact with Anciana, (Luisa Huertas) an old woman who lives nearby, she tells them that the stories about it being haunted are true, and that the two sisters are more involved with the incidents than they are aware of. Using that to help them, they try to unravel the mystery before more people fall victim to the supernatural occurrences that plague the road.
The Good News: This here wasn't all that bad of a film, and had some good parts going for it. The fact that the film has some really impressive atmosphere and suspense is something to be admired of. The opening in here works mainly because it was so unusual, as the ghostly figure running by in the nearly-invisible rainstorm on a darkened road is one of the single creepiest images ever, and the resulting scares with the car and the crash are just so much better because of it. The middle section, once they're out investigating the incidents feature some good parts, but these can't compare to the film's best part, the last half hour. This here is incredible, and is merely packed with atmosphere and suspense. Dank hospitals, foggy forests and subterranean tunnels, which are delivered with extra atmosphere due to the imminently chilling feature due to the fact that it constantly uses the tactic of having unseen, ghostly voices emanating from deeper within, make this section of the film so enjoyable it nearly wipes away the flaws by itself. It's the film at it's creepiest, and therefore most enjoyable moments. This is helped along by it's really nice pacing, since it gets fairly strong once it gets going and never really stops until the end, making it enjoyable for most of the running time as something's always happening. The last part here that works is the central story. As tired as it is, it serves as an excellent starting point for the action due to it's rather creative twist and clever points. These here are what really help the film along.
The Bad News: This here had a few problems to it that hold it down. The main one here is that the film is just way too clichéd and familiar for it's own good. From the repetitive scares that feature something jumping out of nowhere with a loud musical sting to popping up in the most-expected places, this one here uses a lot of familiar tricks to it's trade. The over-used child figure of recent horror films from around the world is something else from that which holds this down. The fact that there's enough films that use the trick to begin with is something that will hurt some towards it, but by having one that doesn't do anything with it manages to give it a troubling feel. There's nothing new in here that it explores with the really unique story, as it's just so similar to all the other ghost films out there. Even worse, it uses the same tired scares as those other films, since there's a pale white ghost girl with long black hair as the main stalker here. It's all too familiar for its own good. The last flaw here is that the film has something of a confusing plot to it, never really sure where it's going and taking a really twisting view to get there. It starts off nicely with the mystery of the road and the ensuing accidents, but before long it drags away from there and becomes more about their back-story with the road than it is about the ghosts, and it changes around at the wrong time, when it was getting interesting with the other story, and isn't helped along by the meandering subplots about the twin sisters' past and their loves in the present. Those scenes are really long, boring and only serve to lengthen the film out, rather than providing answers from the back-story that's already been figured out. These here are the film's few flaws.
The Final Verdict: Slightly clichéd and just a little flawed, this one here wasn't terrible either with a lot going for it as well, giving this one some merit. Give it a go if in the mood for something really unique and fun, have a strong love for Japanese ghost films or find it interesting, while those tired of such films should heed caution.
Rated R: Violence, Language and children in danger
**SPOILERS**
After her sister's accident, Catalina, (Iliana Fox) discovers that she was injured at a stretch of the road known to the locals as Kilometer 31. Along with her friend Nuno, (Adria Collado) and her boyfriend Omar, (Raul Mendez) she decides to head out to the area and find out more about the tragic accident. Reaching the town of the accident, they find that the locals are afraid of the stretch of the road due to a series of strange hauntings from a child-like ghost that haunts the area. When they come into contact with Anciana, (Luisa Huertas) an old woman who lives nearby, she tells them that the stories about it being haunted are true, and that the two sisters are more involved with the incidents than they are aware of. Using that to help them, they try to unravel the mystery before more people fall victim to the supernatural occurrences that plague the road.
The Good News: This here wasn't all that bad of a film, and had some good parts going for it. The fact that the film has some really impressive atmosphere and suspense is something to be admired of. The opening in here works mainly because it was so unusual, as the ghostly figure running by in the nearly-invisible rainstorm on a darkened road is one of the single creepiest images ever, and the resulting scares with the car and the crash are just so much better because of it. The middle section, once they're out investigating the incidents feature some good parts, but these can't compare to the film's best part, the last half hour. This here is incredible, and is merely packed with atmosphere and suspense. Dank hospitals, foggy forests and subterranean tunnels, which are delivered with extra atmosphere due to the imminently chilling feature due to the fact that it constantly uses the tactic of having unseen, ghostly voices emanating from deeper within, make this section of the film so enjoyable it nearly wipes away the flaws by itself. It's the film at it's creepiest, and therefore most enjoyable moments. This is helped along by it's really nice pacing, since it gets fairly strong once it gets going and never really stops until the end, making it enjoyable for most of the running time as something's always happening. The last part here that works is the central story. As tired as it is, it serves as an excellent starting point for the action due to it's rather creative twist and clever points. These here are what really help the film along.
The Bad News: This here had a few problems to it that hold it down. The main one here is that the film is just way too clichéd and familiar for it's own good. From the repetitive scares that feature something jumping out of nowhere with a loud musical sting to popping up in the most-expected places, this one here uses a lot of familiar tricks to it's trade. The over-used child figure of recent horror films from around the world is something else from that which holds this down. The fact that there's enough films that use the trick to begin with is something that will hurt some towards it, but by having one that doesn't do anything with it manages to give it a troubling feel. There's nothing new in here that it explores with the really unique story, as it's just so similar to all the other ghost films out there. Even worse, it uses the same tired scares as those other films, since there's a pale white ghost girl with long black hair as the main stalker here. It's all too familiar for its own good. The last flaw here is that the film has something of a confusing plot to it, never really sure where it's going and taking a really twisting view to get there. It starts off nicely with the mystery of the road and the ensuing accidents, but before long it drags away from there and becomes more about their back-story with the road than it is about the ghosts, and it changes around at the wrong time, when it was getting interesting with the other story, and isn't helped along by the meandering subplots about the twin sisters' past and their loves in the present. Those scenes are really long, boring and only serve to lengthen the film out, rather than providing answers from the back-story that's already been figured out. These here are the film's few flaws.
The Final Verdict: Slightly clichéd and just a little flawed, this one here wasn't terrible either with a lot going for it as well, giving this one some merit. Give it a go if in the mood for something really unique and fun, have a strong love for Japanese ghost films or find it interesting, while those tired of such films should heed caution.
Rated R: Violence, Language and children in danger