Hell's Resident

This is so disappointing. From the man who gaves us the rec series. IMHO the best Spanish horror movies ever made. But this one... In a couple of words...Stupid people, doing stupid things at stupid moments.

For instance, keepings doors unlocked (in a way they could lock-up the baddie), killing off the baddie when they had the chance (or a least making her unable of being a danger, waiting to use the scissors until she's been tied, just being plain stupid (looking in the sons eyes and you had to see there was something wrong with hem).

And what about using the shaking cam every time when the guy with a headache is in view!!???

It could have much better. The idea is great, the location is great, the atmosphere is great, even the acting was good.

Just bad scripting....

Balaguero gets infinite respect for making rec, so I'm willing to forgive this mistake. That and the fact that this one is made before rec. He was still learing... :-)

TV movie from the Films to Keep You Awake (Películas para no dormir) series of 6. This is one of the best of that bunch. Good, but still TV movie quality. A young couple keeps their appointment to walk through an available apartment with the leasing agent. This place is OUT THERE! I mean it is so far out from their urban existence that it looks like the condemned neighborhood that's gone off the grid and the owners have abandoned the buildings. They find the building even more unsuitable than the neighborhood. The jewel in the tiara is the leasing agent. She's a piece of work, that one.

This movie clocks at around one hour, and accomplishes what most modern thrillers struggle to do in twice the time. It gets to the point pretty quickly, but gives a straight, well defined portrait of the main characters without using any "super obvious" scenes to do that. While in the process it actually utilizes pretty much every cliché of the whole "kidnapping" scenario of horror movies (like for example "the hills have eyes" by the late Wes Craven)but in the best way possible. It manages to hold the viewer at the edge of the seat for every single second, surprisingly without ever feeling predictable.

The cinematography and imagery is appropriately beautiful. The worn out color palette fits the ugly urban location perfectly and helps in creating tension throughout the movie. You could even say that (taking into consideration the extremely limited cast) even the weather and the building themselves are supporting characters in the film.

What is really worth mentioning is that this is one more Jaume Balagueró film that breaks the mould of American horror films by having the story placed in an apartments. With the obvious exception of Roman Polanski's "Apartment" trilogy, most American thrillers are set into suburban locations and big, very big houses. Although these houses are very scary (mostly due to their abundance of entry points, making the villains job much easier) this is not very realistic considering more than most people worldwide live in blocks of flats and cant' actually relate to that "50's America" scenery.

Top up all of the above with a great psychological/social study on people who are obsessed with other peoples lives and you've got an excellent, disturbing and actually very "thrilling" thriller. The only drawback I can think for this movie, is (as noted by most reviewers) the main characters lack of decisiveness at points, which, kind of feels like a mechanism for the film to go on.

"To Let" is a satisfyingly chilling tale about a psychotic estate agent and the unfortunate visitors to a decaying apartment block.

This is a splendid made for television movie that just goes to show that Euro horror is alive and well. The production doesn't mess about - the pace is fast and the shocks are constant. A genuinely tense atmosphere is maintained throughout the film. The performances from the small cast are also excellent.

A highly recommended installment from talented director Jaume Balagueró, best known for his (REC) movies. Balagueró really seems to love his creepy apartment blocks as there are small touches of (REC) in this earlier work.

8 out of 10.

This medium-length film (about an hour) belongs to a collection of six TV horror films called "Peliculas Para No Dormir", and was the first film in the collection that I saw. Spanish horror has given us good films, so I was curious to see what this film was going to be like. I was not disappointed, the film fulfills what it promises, but that does not mean that it is excellent.

The story is the main weakness, as it seems too far-fetched. Everything revolves around a young couple who are expecting a child and looking for a house to buy. They end up finding a good opportunity, but it is an old apartment, in an empty building in the middle of a decadent neighborhood that they don't even know. Shortly after starting to visit the apartment, the finding of some of their personal belongings there makes clear that something very strange is happening.

The film was directed by Jaume Balagueró, who is responsible for the "REC" franchise and "Mientras Duermes". Although the length is shorter than normal, the director has time to show what is worth. The script has a logical and coherent history but has a lot of very unlikely moments, like the fact that they don't know where they are but they had that address or, at least, the directions to get there. It does not make sense. The usual clichés in horror (rain, old places, a lunatic on the loose) are present but are well used and create a very pleasant tense atmosphere. I think the film loses strength and impact after 40 minutes because everything becomes obvious and predictable. Even so, and despite the relatively uninteresting ending, the film is pleasant. The cast is good, but it is totally unknown to me.

Technically, it is a very well made film. The gray, bland and low-contrast cinematography, in line with the torrential rain and thunder, creates an environment conducive to fear and suspense. The setting is marked by abandonment and neglect, meticulously well thought out with old furniture, torn wallpaper, broken glass and creaking doors. The special effects boil down to some fake blood and other discrete, yet effective and functional effects. The sound effects and incidental soundtrack also proved to be valuable.