El páramo

'The Squad' is a Colombian psychological horror thriller that comes tantalisingly close to delivering the nasty thrills its story craves - but unfortunately comes up short.

It follows a team of soldiers sent to investigate a Colombian mountain base where all contact has been lost. The soldiers find themselves in a place of unholy intrigue: the dark and grimy interior is graffitied with vague warnings and smeared with fresh blood, while the foreboding sound design toys with our nerves. And a thick and pervasive mist prevents the exterior scenes from feeling safe, ensuring daylight is as cloyingly atmospheric as possible.

The characters are never given enough development to make you sympathise with their peril, however. It's a typical assembly of soldiers who show their argumentative side as much as camaraderie, but no one feels like a fleshed out individual worthy of supporting.

The leisurely pace may also test some viewers' patience, with the decidedly lacklustre finale disappointing considering the careful setup. But, overall, 'The Squad' is watchable enough for the majority of its runtime even if a second watch is not in the cards.

6/10

El Páramo is a tension-filled horror-thriller from Colombian director Jaime Osorio Marquez.

It tells the story of a squad of soldiers, who have been sent to investigate a remote, fog-stricken, mountain outpost, believed to have been overrun by guerillas.

Though, once they arrive...there is no one to be found. Only what looks to be the aftermath of a massacre.

Eventually, they discover a female guerilla holed up behind a wall that is scrawled with spells, and covered with magical charms, meant to ward off the devil.

The squad members can't agree on whether she is a witch; or whether she is responsible for whatever atrocity occurred here...but one thing is certain...it has struck a wedge between them.

Whatever you think occurs, it has the effect of revealing the men for who they truly are. It separates the good from the evil; the strong minded from the weak willed; and the survivors from the dead.

This is exacerbated when the most sadistic f*ck in the unit is killed, after being alone with the woman (whom he planned on torturing and/or raping). If she was able to kill an entire unit, and the man who made them all cower in fear- they feel she must be more than just your average guerilla.

Now that she's on the lamb, pure fear sets in. And what follows is an expert psychological breakdown of the military mindset.

Is someone really out there, using magic to knock them off one-by-one...or is it all in their heads...with themselves being the only ones to blame? A couple clever twists, expertly placed, keeps you thinking about this; and, just when you think you've gotten it all figured out- forces you to question your assumptions.

You really need to have patience- and engage in reflection- to fully appreciate this film. It is neither an action packed, nor gore based, horror...as some critics were clearly expecting. It plods along slowly, builds tension; and forces you to engage with the characters, by encouraging you to break each of them down them down psychologically.

In the end, what made me enjoy this film so much, is how it acts as a scathing critique of the military mindset. Going into it, I fully expected this to be a pro-military propaganda piece, with a horror angle. But it's not. It's completely the opposite. Not only does it act to condemn the war (in Colombia), in general...but also encourages you to reflect on how dangerous it is to throw ordinary people (with all their psychological misgivings and limitations) into such situations. It's an atrocity waiting to happen.

Slow build-up aside, I found this to be a relatively engrossing film.

6 out of 10.

I caught this first time around on Netflix about a year ago and absolutely loved it. So much in fact I bought the film on DVD a couple of months ago (not sure if it has had a blu-ray release). I really can't recommend this film enough it is well written, well shot, well acted and has a brooding, claustrophobic quality about it that stands it head and shoulders above the large percentage of dross that currently boasts to be "the scariest film you will see this year, blah blah"

I must also mention the score which adds impressively to the ominous atmosphere of this film overall. Impressive!

How much do you know about the Colombian film industry? Probably more than I do. 'El Paramo' is a heck of an introduction; opinion seems to be rather divided here and I won't pretend that everything is perfect with this movie but I found it very watchable. Yes, it follows a well-trodden path but is none the worse for it. I thought it a shade heavy on the melodrama and it lacked a little refinement here and there, hence only 8/10 but artistic direction and photography were tight and sensitively handled throughout. I enjoyed the device of concentrating totally on the actors to the exclusion of just about everything else -there IS a lot of darkness and mist around, so may be best avoided if expensive sets and grand scenery are more to your liking. Or if somewhat grisly scenes turn you off! The basics of the story (which all unfolds quite nicely) are no more than have been revealed by other reviewers, so I've nothing to add except praise for the well-designed music soundtrack and a warm recommendation overall.

Another reviewer here stated some interesting points. I do agree with most of his arguments, but I don't think the movie is as bad as he makes it to be. That doesn't mean I think it's really good, but I do think the director was going for the right thing. Fear and isolation can make people go crazy.

Of course the idea is anything but new and there have been quite a few movies with similar themes. While this is well played, there is something missing to help the viewer along the ride. Something that will even the field and make even some of the clichés look good. As it is, it is just decent (maybe you won't even think as much of it, as proved by other reviews). Suspense is high enough and though you can guess most turns and events, it is still enjoyable enough.