Los Parecidos

This movie will mess with your mind. What you see isn't what you get. Outstanding cinematography, compelling plot and convincing characters - you can tell that this movie is off to a great start. But this was ruined by a silly twist and a comedic third act. Man, I was so underwhelmed.

"Los Parecidos/The Similars" the second film by Mexican director Issac Ezban really is "A love letter to the science fiction movies of the 60s".

The mysterious plot of the film is bizarrely addressed by the style that the young director is creating, mixing photography and really amazing soundtrack transports you to another era.

The film reminds us the classic episodes of the "Twilight Zone" and the music of the film remind us the musicalization of the works of Alfred Hitchcock.

No doubt Ezban Issac and his team are doing a great work resurrecting the science fiction genre in México.

While I liked the style of this movie, the concept wasn't executed well enough for me. I found it more comical than creepy, more wacky than weird. Some of the acting and editing was awful, and I definitely felt like some moments were cringe-worthy. I am a fan of the Twilight Zone, which other people have compared this to, but The Similars was too ridiculous and unsubtle to be in the same league as the classic series. I feel like I'm in the minority here, but I say skip this one.

I really liked this movie! There will be zero spoilers here; I'll be getting straight to the point.

Where horror films are concerned, I'm beyond weary of the seemingly endless stream of remakes and reboots coming out of Hollywood. For years I've been waiting for someone — ANYONE — to start thinking out of the box and create something original. Finally, the writer/director/producer of "The Similars" did just that. His name is Isaac Ezban. Remember it... because I have a strong feeling that Guillermo Del Toro will be getting a bit of home-grown competition on 'the horror front' before too long.

'The Similars' is sort of a 'period piece' that's set in 1968, with the Tlatelolco Massacre hovering over it like a dark, ominous cloud from start to finish. (If you're unfamiliar with the incident, Google it.) This movie is also a tribute to the horror classics of the 1960s. Interesting and attention-grabbing from the start, it straddles the fence between 'bizarre' and 'comically absurd' before then veering straight into 'old-school horror' territory with a rather unexpected sci-fi twist. If you want or need to know more? Track it down and watch it. Seriously. The less you look into this movie ahead of time, the better. Allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised.

The Twilight Zone: It's a Good Life (1961) where "on an isolated family farm, a young boy with vast mental powers, but lacking emotional development, holds his terrified family in thrall to his every juvenile wish."

Only this time Rod Sterling (1924-1975) was replaced by Isaac Ezban in the Mexican knock-off were "On the rainy night of October 2, 1968, eight characters waiting on a remote bus station for a bus heading to Mexico City start experiencing a strange phenomenon."

Because this took place in one location of a bus station it could adapt easily to a stage play.

It has a lot of hairier ending.