Runtime : 118 Min.
Genre : Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Director : Alejandro Amenábar
Movie Stars : Fele Martínez,Eduardo Noriega,Ana Torrent
Country: Spain
Language : Spanish
Wiki: Ángela (Torrent) is a film student at the Madrid's University Complutense. Searching for research material for her thesis (hence the film's title) on audio-visual violence, she attains the friendship of Chema (Martínez), a fellow student and introvert with an encyclopedic collection of violent and pornographic films.
After her professor dies while watching a film she steals the videotape, discovering that it is a snuff film featuring a girl whom Chema recognizes as a former student at the university - and a former associate of current student Bosco (Noriega). Investigating the origins of the tape, they are drawn into the operations of a chilling snuff ring.
I did not known whether I wanted to watch this movie or not because of the year it was made. I usually do not like to watch films made around the year I was born. I don't know why maybe it is because of the differences in hair and clothing styles that puts me off. Anyway, I decided to give this movie a chance because of the trailers. I loved it! It kind of reminded me of a Lifetime mystery movie but ten times better. I loved the plot. It definitely kept me guessing as to who the killer(s) were. I would love to use a time machine and transport myself to 95 Spain to see what the Spanish thought of this film because I don't believe there were many like it back then.
A few points: The film was made with a low budget and was shot in 5 weeks! WOW. Many films with high budgets and long filming times are not as good as this. Eduardo Noriega (played Bosco Herranz) also stars in The Devil's Backbone. I knew I saw that face somewhere! Fele Martínez (played Chema) looks just like Johnny Depp in this film. I barely recognized him from his later film Bad Education.
Rating: 5/5
