A work of art

Rating: 8/10 (14 May 2008)

Horror movies are horror movies. They can be good and bad. There are certain things that make them well worth watching.
First, there is the cinematography of Óscar Faura, who did The Abandoned and The Machinist. The camera work in this film was nothing short of spectacular.
Then, for a good horror movie, you have to have great sound. Xavier Mas, Marc Orts, and Oriol Tarragó took care to make sure the sound was fantastic.
It helps to have a great director, and this film had a new one, Juan Antonio Bayona, who definitely is one to watch in the future. He transformed Sergio G. Sánchez's screenplay into an entertaining piece of horror.
Belén Rueda (The Sea Inside) is not only a pleasure to look at, but she is a fantastic actress and was superb here. She got a lot a help from three-time Golden Globe nominee Geraldine Chaplin.
A really spooky movie with a sweet ending.