The House at the End of Time

Terrible things happen in Dulce's house in 1981; such terrible things that she has been in prison ever since. In 2011, now an old woman, Dulce is the beneficiary of a boon from the Venezuelan government - she is allowed to leave the prison, but she must remain on house arrest (complete with armed guards outside 24/7), in the very house where those terrible events occurred. And now it seems that they are about to occur again, and again, and again....

I don't want to say much at all about this film because its power comes from its unexpected twists and turns and things we, the audience, never saw coming. I don't like scary movies much because, well, I don't like being scared - and this one definitely scared me, there were at least half a dozen times when I jumped in my seat (and perhaps screamed a little)! But I ended up really loving this film, in part because of the way it unfolds and in part because of the very fine acting, by Ruddy Rodriguez as Dolce especially, but also including Gonzalo Cubero as her husband Juan Jose, Rosmel Bustamente as her son Leo and (the very handsome) Hector Mercado as the local priest. My only quibble has to do with the fact that all the rooms in the house are always kept locked, whether family members are in them or not; I didn't quite understand that. But if you're looking for a very classy "supernatural thriller," you wouldn't go wrong by choosing to search this one out; truly excellent!

I read on the forum that the reviews for this film are suspiciously alike and might even come from the same source close to the production. So, I'm here to tell you that doesn't really matter, because the movie is good and it is very much worth watching.

I went into it completely unarmed. The only thing I knew was the title and the fact that they spoke Spanish. The genre hit me on the head pretty much off the bat and I was happy with it. (Films from Spanish spoken countries have a good tradition in that respect.) I strapped in for the ride and boy was it a thrilling one! I found the movie to be refreshingly good. Not wanting to give away anything (I wish everyone the experience I had), I'll just say that for me it was the engrossing story and the flawless direction that did it. I was completely sucked into the narrative, but as usual I thought I had it all figured out pretty early on. And then I was forced to piece together a new explanation basically every 10 minutes. Which was in itself awesome. Looking back I now see they had me right where they wanted me all the way through the film and right until the very end, hit every cue, killed every mark.

As mentioned, the directing is perfection. (Which means I am now very eager to see more from this Mr. Alejandro Hidalgo!) It's hard to avoid the cliché moves, once within the confines of the specific genre and we've all got pretty much desensitized to those ever-repeating scenes. Well, prepare to change your mind! This will make you see that, if done by a skilled hand, they have not lost their power at all. In fact they work better than ever...

The acting was good too. I especially liked the mother (Ruddy Rodríguez) and the children. There were some scenes where I found it to be a bit telenovela-ish (over the top) - mostly scenes involving the Priest -, but, to be fair, I am very prejudice in that respect.

So, to sum up - and not say anything at all - I enjoyed this movie very much and I highly recommend it. I also strongly recommend finding out why on your own - you'll be grateful for the gift!

Okay, I'm no part Venezuelan.

It's a good film. American audiences, take it for what it is, a low budget film from a small film industry. Yes, it has weakpoints, but also strengths.

Pros: innovative plot twists, well filmed. Cons: Slow starter, overdramatizing music gives away some surprises, a few connections are contrived. Overall: A good twist on a psychological pensive ghost story.

Who might like this? It's a little old school, like Gaslight, with some of the Spanish style, like Del Toro's Devil's Backbone. A touch of The Others, not as polished, but if you like those films, and are looking for something else, this would be a good one to watch.

ps.

To reviewers & commenters : Don't knock countries. Americans love European & Mexican movies. We're not latinophobes. Key? Subtlety. It's much more powerful if a twist happens and we almost miss it, and then wham, it's there. Just like some day noticing "oh, huh, they're from Venezuela."

This needed saying because of the number of comments on the topic comments and reviews. I know funding is hard to come by for major projects in Venezuela, so kudos, keep it up. I look forward to future results.

It might seem like it and technically you'd be correct if you call this another haunted house. But that would be just looking on the outside. I'd invite you to get into the house (yes it doesn't seem to be the brightest idea, but wait for it)! Actually the movie has a lot of heart, even when you think it is about to go horribly wrong.

You could also argue, that it all makes sense (in the end). More or less that is. Another factor are the actors. The story twists are one thing (also very nicely timed), but what really helps elevate this besides the clever script are the actors. There are even moments where you might feel a certain sadness and a Deja Vu towards the end third of the movie, that is just amazing. Try to stay open minded. My first/initial reaction wasn't a good one either, but as the movie moved along, I started to see things and it won me over

The House At The End Of Time is touted as being the first feature length horror-thriller from Venezuela...and it is that country's highest grossing film of all time.

It tells the story of a woman named Dulce, based on the experiences she has after moving into a house with a dark history.

Basically, the house had sat abandoned for years, only to see the government seize it and offer to a family in need.

Enter Dulce and her family.

They move into the house, only to start experiencing eerie phenomenon.

Then, one night, they are attacked by ghosts: an old man carrying a knife, and a young boy, at least.

We follow from the perspective of Dulce, who wakes up bleeding on the ground...only to find her husband stabbed...and watch her son be seized away into the darkness.

For this, she is arrested. Because there is no evidence that anyone else was ever in the house...and she can't explain the dead body and missing boy.

Fast forward 30 years later, and Dulce (now an elderly woman) has been released from prison and returned to her home.

She is under protective custody, but is adamant that she wants to find her child. So she illicits the help of the local priest.

He is able to offer her moral and psychological support, but the police won't let him hang around long enough to help otherwise. So, she is left to deal with things on her own.

And this is where it starts to get trippy.

She begins to experience the events from that fateful day in her past again...but from the other side.

Effectively making her the ghost that has been haunting her past self.

And as the story continues, you slowly start to realize...that her and her family have become lost souls...trapped in time...living out their torment cyclically, forever.

Which might seem horrific, if there wasn't a couple of light-hearted- and extremely clever- twists at the end.

This film is expertly constructed in a circular fashion. And the second half acts as a mirror image of the first (in reverse).

In this sense, it works a lot like Oculus. In that it is an engaging puzzler, whose direction shifts drastically, as you get deeper into the film and are provided with more context.

And that is what makes this film so damn enjoyable.

It's not too complex either. It's really easy to follow, which leaves it accessible to more mainstream audiences.

This is a great film that you should definitely check out.

Not only does it scare you...it establishes Hidalgo as a master manipulator.

Definitely see this...and don't wait for the remake.

7.5 out of 10.