Penumbra (2011)

I have had this movie sitting on my digital shelf for quite some time, so I just put it on tonight.

Interesting movie, reasonably suspenseful the whole time, but waiting for the climax.

When the climax came, I was a bit disappointed myself

Anyway, take a look and judge for yourself

Funny, by the way, that that crazy grandpa from Sudor Frio was walking around the supermarket in the beginning—a small supporting role.

By the way, I actually liked Sudor Frio better than this movie

Translated from Dutch · View original

After the sweating female bodies in Sudor Frio, I really settled in for this one... but Penumbra is quite different. Okay, the location matches (a random street where something bizarre is happening behind an anonymous door), but that's about it.

This all bears some resemblance to Polanski's apartment thrillers: the setting, the protagonist in despair, the quiet build-up, the short climax. The plot becomes increasingly mysterious (a nice contribution to this: the pendulum movements of the camera!), and afterwards, it leaves one feeling fairly unsettled.

That is where the film's trump card lies, rather than a full-blooded horror like the Polanskis, but they rarely score really high with me. And this one doesn't either; the endless rambling (Mr. Bungel, of course ) doesn't fit the concept of the slow burn and makes her character tiresome; that rattling back and forth and on the phone... really detracts from the film.

PS if you like apartment horrors with old-fashioned elevators: Para Entrar a Vivir

Translated from Dutch · View original

Yep, this was a success.

Cristina Brondo plays a delightful bitch. Here the film is criticized somewhat unfairly for the long build-up and the many unnecessary dialogues, including the phone calls.
But that build-up is well constructed toward the bizarre, effective climax, where all those conversations make you more and more curious and, above all, give you a picture of Margaret as a person.
So I did find it to be an added value. There are a few wonderful shots in the film (e.g. the beheading, Margaret taking the stairs down at the end, the ritual, ....). In addition, the director creates a brilliant atmosphere through the amazing location and striking camerawork that suits this film. The climax still lingers because ik had expected something very different, namely that the film would really explode towards the end. But you just get a cold, bizarre, short climax that might not quite meet your expectations at first, but ultimately manages to deliver something unique. 7.5/10

Translated from Dutch · View original