El Páramo (2011)
Genre: War / Horror
Duration: 108 minuten
Alternative title: The Squad
Country:
Colombia / Argentina / Spain
Directed by: Jaime Osorio Marquez
Stars: Juan David Restrepo, Mauricio Navas and Mateo Stevel
IMDb score:
5,3 (1.812)
Releasedate: 7 October 2011
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
El Páramo plot
"Something is out there"
Nine experienced soldiers are sent to reconnoitre a military base on a desolate plateau in Colombia. They lost contact with the base a few days ago and are believed to have been the target of a guerrilla attack. Upon arrival, the only person found is a heavily chained farmer's wife. Gradually, the isolation, the inability to communicate with the outside world and the inability to escape weigh heavily on the soldiers. It undermines the soldiers' integrity and sanity, causing them to lose certainty about the enemy's identity and giving way to doubts about the true nature of the strange and silent woman. Prisoners of fear, paranoia and a dark secret they carry, they challenge each other and turn into beasts willing to kill each other to survive.
Actors and actresses
Ramos
Parra
Teniente
Sargento
Robledo
Ponce
Mujer
Arango
Fiquitiva
Cortez
Reviews & comments
Bottleneck
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- 8233 messages
- 2119 votes
Yes, I like this. Atmospheric, misty, mysterious and above all great dark audio, nicely done. It's a bit of a shame that the horror genre is being added, that might raise false expectations. Although it is horror/fear what the soldiers go through, it is not pure horror as is common in film terminology. It is much more a psychological decline of the soldiers that you are presented with in an ominous setting.
And that decline works well, triggered by traumatic experiences, superstition, the group process in which people drag each other along (also through the diaries) and especially by the woman who is found.
Always like it when it's open to interpretation: is it a woman with evil powers or do the soldiers just think that. As far as I'm concerned, certainly not the first one because it wouldn't fit in and there's nothing directly pointing to it, but because you keep experiencing everything from the men's point of view you can't get any certainty about that. A disadvantage is that the strumming is a bit too monotonous, otherwise there is little to complain about.
Translated from Dutch · View original
leatherhead
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- 3556 messages
- 1813 votes
I agree, a very strong film, which is unfortunately subject to considerable underappreciation here. Although that can be explained: El Páramo is neither horror nor war par excellence. Rather, two genres that are mixed into the blender, with the result mainly based on the nasty atmosphere.
There is no shortage of that. The misty, desolate areas surrounding the ominous military base are partly to blame for this. From minute one it is clear that something is not right on the Colombian plateau, or at least that is the impression you get as a viewer. Because was there really danger? Was the 'guerilla' informant really responsible for the death and destruction? As a viewer you are ultimately left in the dark about it, which also makes it a lot more mysterious.
The psychological deterioration that gradually sets in owes its power mainly to the soundtrack. Great menacing sounds, which give the film a lot of atmosphere. Once the soldiers start to mentally uproot one by one, the soundtrack only becomes an even greater asset. Marquez perhaps could have paid a little more attention to the visuals, although the film goes a long way with its setting alone.
4.0* rounded up, nice trip. By the way, the ending is a bit on the cheap side, but oh well. Certainly a work that deserves more attention.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Messy.
On paper, a war horror film is always interesting, especially if you take into account the fact that it is fairly obscure. El Páramo has the disadvantage that it has also remained fairly under the radar for most enthusiasts, but fortunately it is not the case that people miss it that much.
Director Marquez chooses to give horror a limited platform here and to highlight the psychological tension between the soldiers. There are nine in total that after a while I could barely tell them apart. No one really excels, even though the acting is quite decent. I thought they were too similar in terms of drama and problems, which meant that each soldier simply had too little color and substance. Always a missed opportunity, as a large part of the film depends on the connection between the gentlemen.
The tension is increased left and right and we are slowly but surely presented with interesting settings. The misty hills, the abandoned building and the dark cellars have a certain charm that Marquez uses well. Unfortunately, he just doesn't use them that often. The yelling and screaming between the soldiers lost its effect relatively quickly in El Páramo, so I thought it was a shame that the tension was limited.
I don't have much more to say about it. A somewhat boring but atmospheric war horror film that looks deep, but ultimately cannot find it very deep. It is highly recommended for fans of these types of films, after all you don't see too many of them. It is by no means clever, but Marquez's potential is quickly seen.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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