La secte sans nom

All in all, a pretty creepy film. The grim, dark texture of the movie adds to its disquieting storyline. I was surprised that other comments here found this film a disappointment, or worse. As some have noted its a far bit better than a lot of the Hollywood horror that's been churned out recently. It is certainly worth a look if you enjoy a movie that seeks to build a psychological tension as opposed to constantly trying to shock the viewer with either non-stop mayhem or half witted gross-outs.

And it did not disappoint. Nice, creepy movie that doesn't rely on much violence, only the mentioning of it. Just listening to the characters speak of the nameless' penchant for torture was enough to force me to see this with the lights on. This movie and "Thesis" whet my appetite for more Spanish horror films.

I had heard nothing but good things about Jaume Balaguero's The Nameless. Unfortunately I had watched The Darkness, Balaguero's second feature, prior to The Nameless so I just couldn't get excited about watching it. I had the disc sitting on my table for about two weeks before finally breaking down and watching it. It is leaps and bounds ahead of The Darkness (which I'm now sure Dimension messed up). The Nameless is based upon Ramsey Campbell's novel and, to my knowledge, is Campbell's first work to be filmed. It's about a cult called The Nameless who thinks they can achieve a level of purity by torturing the innocent. I don't want to give anything else away because the journey of the movie is very important and leads to one of the best and most fitting endings any movie ever had. If you saw The Darkness and weren't impressed, give Balaguero a second chance and see his superior thriller.

I saw this film a few years back and have been a supporter of Balaguero ever since! It starts on a very disturbing note and then constantly pushes and pushes your buttons. I can only compare it to being on a torture rack and in pain from the start only to have the cogs turned constantly and very slowly increasing my agony for every minute of my time spent on it until i reach my limit only to realise that the end is SO much nastier now that they have stopped turning the cogs that a totally unforseen pain and agony is about to hit me just when i thought it was over! The tension levels are very slowly but expertly cranked up throughout this film from the opening moments until the very end...and even THEN the cruelest of climaxes awaits us. I have read comments about the ending to this film that do not do it justice or feel that it does not work. I cannot understand or share that viewpoint. Any such accusations levelled at this film are lacking. The climax is simple, yet one of the most intelligent, psychologically perverse, emotion-shredding and horrible (without resorting to blood) ever commited to celluloid. On it's own it would pack a seriously intense punch...but as the climax/pay-off/culmination of such a profoundly creepy film it is downright cruel and disturbing and a fitting finale to a soul-destroying film... Balaguero's style has been disregarded by some as too similar to that of David Fincher. Well, the similarities in LOOK are there but style isn't based on cinematography alone. The film is a beautifully dark, stylish, polished affair with menace in the shadows, angst around every corner and terror on the horizon. Dread and evil have not been portrayed this vividly for a long, long time...

Good and unsettling Catalan terror/thriller by expert filmmaker Jaume Balaguero and based on the British novel "The Nameless" by Ramsey Campbell . More spine-tingling from the director of ¨Darkness¨ , a convincing sense of impeding dread and essential to any effective Horror-Thriller . Some years after a little girl was killed when her mummy named Claudia (Emma Villarasau) , addicted to tranquilizers , seemed to have started to recover , but a phone call once again shatters her existence : "Mummy, it's me... come and get me". Helped by an ex-cop named Massera(Karra Elejalde) and a parapsychology journalist named Quiroga (Tristan Ulloa) who is expert in the supernatural, she sets out on a desperate search for encounter her daughter . Other mysterious clues appear , indicating that the daughter is indeed still alive , and very much in risk . Later on , they discover incredible deeds : a sect of the occult with conceal things and dark secrets which rejects its own name , called ¨Nameless¨ and wishes the essence of pure evil.

The official English title is The Nameless -but the correct translation is "Los Sin Nombre", which to me is far more creepy- lives up to Jaume Balaguero's reputation . This suspenseful and frightening movie was produced by the successful Catalan producers Julio and Carlos Fernandez from Fantastic factory ; it displays relentless horror , thrills , intrigue , shocks , hard-edged drama , plot twists , creepy images and some gore when crime takes place . Director Jaume Balagueró (Rec, Rec 2, Fragiles , Darkness and the recent "while you sleep" or Mientras Duermes) uses that uneasy non-knowledge for both horror and occultism , introducing brief psychological observations . Interesting writing credits by the same director/writer Balaguero based on a story by Ramsey Campbell . ¨Nameless¨ is a motion picture that balances precariously over the terror and occultism . The overall result is chilling proof that Balagueró can take a little budget while delivering a completely different scare . Extraordinary performance by Emma Villarasau , she plays a real tour-de-force in one of his best acting of his career as a solitary and unhappy mother , unsettling for past records and disturbing future . Furthermore , excellent Karra Elejalde as a run-down ex-'policeman . The picture packs a thrilling and intriguing musical score by Carles Cases . Furthermore , a cold and appropriate cinematography by Xavi Gimenez , Balaguero's usual .

'The Nameless' demonstrates director Balagueró's versatility , resulting to be a sublime thriller that every genre buff should be excited for . Rating : Good , better than average . The movie will appeal to thriller and terror fans . Worthwhile watching .