Les enfants d'Abraham

Daniella Logan (Erica Prior) sees her world turned upside down when her father commits suicide. Telling her catatonic mother the news, Daniella is startled when the mom responds with the word "Josephine" and it sets her on an investigation into her past. The second of Filmax's Ramsey Campbell adaptations (after Jaume Balagueró's THE NAMELESS), this isn't as good as the first one, but it is probably just as dark and disturbing. Seriously, Campbell loves him some screwed up families. Director/co-writer Paco Plaza - who would later co-helm two of the REC films with Balagueró - doesn't have as good a style and tends to lay blasting violins pretty thick over the more emotional moments. It is still pretty engaging and has some twists that you think you have predicted, but then you get swerved again. Also has one of the bleakest endings I've seen in a long time. Amazingly, this wasn't picked up by the Weinsteins during their spending sprees and hasn't seen a U.S. release.

Second Name follows the female mystery-investigation storyline that has been used so successfully in recent horror/suspense films like Ring, The Eye etc. This time round our heroine investigates the suicide of her father in strange circumstances, leading her to uncover the secrets of her own past, and the discovery of an ancient religion dedicated to the ritual killing of their first-born.

I have not read the novel but judging by the film Ramsay Campbell has crafted a clever, twisting-turning tale with that elusive what-happens-next factor that will keep anyone guessing. Direction and performances are restrained, which thankfully suits the film (none of the gimmicks that damaged the US remake of Ring). And the bleak ending really packs a punch. Recommended.

After the overrated success of Amenabar and Balaguero, Spanish Horror Movies spread like a disease in the increasingly sad world of horror movies. The result is all in films like El segundo nombre, a TV-like production bad written, but acted and directed even worse. I didn't read the Ramsey Campbell book, but I'm sure that the author of The Doll Who Ate Its Mother didn't have much in common with this terrible production. Avoid it at any cost, unless you're searching for a quiet sleepy night in a fresh movie theater. 2/10

The movie was good yes, with some surprising mysteries. However, the ending not only unravels various mysteries, it unravels the plot of the movie to stupidity.

Anyone that knows their bible (well) will realize that this "cult" breaks numerous Commandments. -Thou shalt not lie -Thou shalt not bear false witness -Thou shalt not kill

Their actions make the whole cult a contradiction to religion (ie. trying to earn God's favor by condemning themselves)...

Plain stupid.

Inauspicious English language feature debut from Paco Plaza, who would go on to direct horror hits such as the REC films and Veronica.

Although his skills of visual composition and evoking a sense of mood are already present, he fails to create an engaging story.

For a mystery/horror film, there is very little of either.

The odd, stilted performances by the actors delivering odd, stilted lines of dialogue only add to the film's woes.