ChikPapa
Very disappointed :(
MonsterPerfect
Good idea lost in the noise
Walter Sloane
Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
jhs39
Flat Spanish horror movie (shot in English) by the producers of the excellent Los Sin Nombre. Like Los Sin Nombre this is based on a Ramsey Campbell book. Both movies are also similar in that they deal with religious fanatics and endangered children, but while many of the same elements may be in place the second time around this movie doesn't deliver any big thrills or generate much suspense. The performances are bland and the director doesn't seem to have any idea of how to ratchet up the tension even though the story is inherently creepy and should have yielded a much more suspenseful film. Part of the problem lies in the script--the police detective here is so ludicrous and incompetent that his every scene becomes painful to watch and the heroine is simply too passive to generate much sympathy. She seems to be in a valium haze throughout the whole movie and never shows the urgency that would be vital for creating some sense of momentum in the still-born material. See Los Sin Nombre or that same director's Darkness instead.
arjenp
Because of the other comments on this movie, I thought I'd write my review.
First of all, I really liked the acting. It all was very natural to me and every character clearly had something unique to them.The story is intruiging, and deals with (what it looks like to me) the subject of what people are willing to sacrifice and suffer for their faith.
Also the scenery and environments in this movie really stand out, a sort of dark and foreboding feeling does it show, a bit like Se7en (but less grainy and more 'stylish').The only thing I didn't like about this movie was the ending. It is very harsh, and offers almost (telling would be a spoiler) nothing positive. 8/10
Castor T-2
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
tonicxt
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 killTheir actions make the whole cult a contradiction to religion (ie. trying to earn God's favor by condemning themselves)...Plain stupid.
