Shiver - Die düsteren Schatten der Angst

Mystery-drama to be exact. This combination will obviously not appeal to everyone. But then again the success of Twilight might suggest otherwise. Though I haven't watched Twilight yet, I think I can tell, that those movies steer in the same vain. The American movie being glossier of course. I can't say though, if "Shiver" is based on any novel or something like that.

What I can say, is that the mystery horror works quite well. I was quite impressed by the acting chops the kids showed/displayed. They were cast perfectly. There are quite a few things that did bother me (pacing issues, some plot problems and the usual cliché here and there). Still worth a watch, if there is nothing else to do and you like those kind(s) of movies

SHIVER is the story of a young boy named Santi (Junio Valverde) and his mum (Mar Sodupe), who relocate to a small, rural village in northern Spain. The move is to take advantage of the dark canyons, due to Santi's medical condition.

Upon arrival, things begin to occur that eventually plunge mother and son into a nightmare of mystery, savagery, and death.

Young Valverde is quite believable in his misunderstood, lonely role. He's forced to face horrors that no one else believes in, and is suspected of the very crimes he's trying to solve.

There's a nice twist and a disturbing revelation. If you're hungry for terror and suspense, SHIVERS delivers...

After Santi (Junio Valverde, 'The Devil's Backbone') is warned by his doctors of his worsening allergy to sunlight, he and his mother move to a remote town in a sunless valley. Soon after they arrive, strange events occur around the village. First, a farmer's sheep is viciously mutilated and left for dead. Then, the town bully is brutally murdered. As the horrific incidents continue, it becomes clear that the one responsible for the murders wants Santi next.

The past few years have brought many nations into the center ring of the horror genre. One of these recent powerhouses is Spain. With such instant classics as 'The Orphanage,' 'Rec,' and 'Pan's Labyrinth' (questionably horror, still, but impossible to not mention), Spain has aided in giving some much-needed relief from the seemingly unending stretch of Hollywood unoriginality. In late 2008, Spain released the rarely mention (stateside, at least) film entitled 'Eskalofrí' or 'Shiver.' Combining the direction of Isidro Ortiz ('Faust 5.0'), cinematography of Josep M. Civit ('Guerreros'), and the production design of Pilar Revuelta ('Pan's Labyrinth'), 'Shiver' is presented as a strikingly attractive film with some extremely beautiful and well captured settings. However, it's not all about the visuals here. A strong script by a relatively fresh group of writers is very substantial and fulfilling. The cast, of which I am mostly unfamiliar, easily manages to capture all their roles. On the other hand, I suppose there are a few problems. First the script could be a BIT juvenile at times playing off, as one reviewer said, like a darker episode of 'Buffy.' Also, I must note that the editing was not the best. Perhaps one more (or, in some instances, one less) run through the cutting room would've made for a better film as there were a few times where some great tension was ruined when the build-up was left with no reward in a too-quick cutaway. Regardless, even with the few flaws, 'Eskalofrío' remains as a very solid and genuinely creepy modern horror that satisfies the necessary style & substance of a true quality film.

Final Verdict: 7.5/10.

-AP3-

A wonderful imaginative film that make me enjoy a lot whit a very good constructed story and a couple of greats actors(From the novel Blanca Suarez to the best actor academy winner Fransec Orella and especially the main character Junio Valverde). The art direction from Pilar Revuelta ( Oscar for "El labyrinth....) is solid and the music from Fernando Velazquez sounds like the classics.The light of JM Civit show us the continuous battle between the light and the darkness (or is in the other way). Isidro Ortiz plays with the mains topics of the genre to give us a complete new version of the genre films for this century where he don't need blood explosions o sound effects to keep us sitting in the chair.

A teenage boy has a decease where every time he steps into the sun he burns his skin. So his mother faces a decision to move away to a mountain town, where the sun sets early. They notice that the town people are all very close knit. But almost immediately following the boys arrival to the town, the town begins to have grim murders in the woods. The town people begin to suspect the strange new comer. 'Shiver' is one of the most enjoyable suspense films I've seen. The scare value in this film isn't the 'boo' shots or the gore. It's the superb use of silence and the true horror of what it means to know you're not alone in the woods… or your house.