This lackluster Spanish sci-fi film tells the post-apocalyptic tale of a small group of people trying to survive in an underground complex.
There's no doubt that there is a quirky Euro feel at work here but it isn't enough to save a very weak script and poor direction. Elio Quiroga probably did not have much budget to work with but his use of the environment is unbearably bland compared to filmmakers that preceded him. And there is no doubt that had this movie been produced and shot in the US with American actors, the rating would be much lower.
Some reviews have praised the actors on display when they are in fact terrible. Not that they are entirely to blame because the script itself is ladden with clichés and has a raw, immature feel to it. All the characters are essentially cardboard stereotypes defined by their function or simply (and dumbly) by their demographic. "Here's the scientist, the soldier, the kid, the old loner and oh, the homosexual". Talk about poor writing there.
The film starts abruptly and then unfolds slowly and as an audience, you expect you will gradually understand the stakes here, what these survivors are hiding from. There are various threats to their survival but none make any sense and eventually, you figure out that what you thought would be explained is really just poor writing.
Where the film shines however is with its quirky style of aesthetics. There's definitely a strong Euro flavor to the way this movie was shot, and there's also a lovely vibe of the old cold war sci-fi going. In this sense, director Quiroga is like a poor man's Terry Gilliam.
While La Hora Fria touches upon several genres (drama, sci-fi, horror, action) it unfortunately fails to excel at even one of those and ends up being a major disappointment. The big "reveal" at the end just can't save this movie.
Very disappointed at the rating. I guess IMDb viewers are traditionally more lenient when rating b-movies that are foreign.
There's no doubt that there is a quirky Euro feel at work here but it isn't enough to save a very weak script and poor direction. Elio Quiroga probably did not have much budget to work with but his use of the environment is unbearably bland compared to filmmakers that preceded him. And there is no doubt that had this movie been produced and shot in the US with American actors, the rating would be much lower.
Some reviews have praised the actors on display when they are in fact terrible. Not that they are entirely to blame because the script itself is ladden with clichés and has a raw, immature feel to it. All the characters are essentially cardboard stereotypes defined by their function or simply (and dumbly) by their demographic. "Here's the scientist, the soldier, the kid, the old loner and oh, the homosexual". Talk about poor writing there.
The film starts abruptly and then unfolds slowly and as an audience, you expect you will gradually understand the stakes here, what these survivors are hiding from. There are various threats to their survival but none make any sense and eventually, you figure out that what you thought would be explained is really just poor writing.
Where the film shines however is with its quirky style of aesthetics. There's definitely a strong Euro flavor to the way this movie was shot, and there's also a lovely vibe of the old cold war sci-fi going. In this sense, director Quiroga is like a poor man's Terry Gilliam.
While La Hora Fria touches upon several genres (drama, sci-fi, horror, action) it unfortunately fails to excel at even one of those and ends up being a major disappointment. The big "reveal" at the end just can't save this movie.
Very disappointed at the rating. I guess IMDb viewers are traditionally more lenient when rating b-movies that are foreign.