Fin's Review: To Let

Anyone who has been following horror over the last few years will know that Spain is where it's at. From [REC] to The Orphanage, Spanish directors are making films of heart and intelligence, not to mention balls-out scares that Hollywood directors can't touch. I was therefore very excited when '6 films To Keep You Awake' came through the letter box. This is a collection of six short films highlighting some of the best horror film makers that Spain has to offer. My first choice from this box set was To Let a film by the director of [REC] - one of my favourite films in years - Jaume Balaguero.

Despite the fact that that To Let had a small budget and was made for TV, the skill of Balaguero and the actors involved ensure that it never seems cheap. By maintaining a small cast and a limited location Balaguero avoids some of the pitfalls associated with small budget films. Balaguero established in [REC] how scary dark, brooding Spanish apartment blocks can be and To Let is no different.

The film opens with a young couple looking for a flat. After numerous disappointments they have responded to an ad for a large and reasonably-priced flat. After getting lost, they finally arrive in a weird run-down area of the city to view the flat. From very early on in the film the one major downside of the film surfaces and that is the stupid and at times bizarre behaviour exhibited by the two main characters. This starts when on the walk up the stairs to the flat they see decapitated mannequin body parts lying around the stairs and hear the dries of a distressed baby, yet still go on with the viewing. You soon realize that these characters are pretty stupid - as much as this is hardly a surprise in a horror film, these characters take it to a new level and at times come close to making the whole premise of the film silly. For example, there a number of occasions when the characters have opportunities to try and escape but don't, which is particularly bizarre as the main 'baddy' is a 50+ year old woman yet the male protagonist can't find it in him to simply attack her. However, good horror films can often make you forget how ludicrous some aspects of the story are while drawing you into the action and this is true of To Let.

Despite the one major flaw I mentioned above, I really enjoyed this film. Balaguero creates a creepy, compelling drama that is built upon a really scary premise and keeps you gripped until the credits roll. Along the way he introduces some really unsetteling images and situations. The main villian of the piece is one of the strangest and scariest characters I have seen in a while and the way she interacts with her 'tenants' is really unnerving. All in all a very decent and enjoyable horror flick and at just over an hour long well worth a watch.

Clarky's Review: To Let

We seem to be going in cycles this season. We had two weeks in the row of D'Argento films a few weeks ago, and this week we had our second film with a pregnant protagonist in two weeks. Whether this says something about how much horror we have watched over the past couple of years that we are now delving into such extremes is for you to judge.

Fin and I first came across To Let earlier this year at a cult film class run by Edinburgh Council. We had decided to attend in order to widen our horizons and hopefully to uncover some unknown gems for future horror club outings. So it was wide eyed excitement that we sat down one evening to watch the first feature by Jaume Balaguero, one of the masterminds behind Rec - one of our collective favourites at HC in the 2009/10 season. This seemed to be exactly what we were looking for and so I was eagerly looking forward to Fin bringing this movie to the table.

First things first, there are a lot of down right stupid moves by some of the people involved in this movie. And whilst this was frustrating it also made the movie more enjoyable. For the first time in a while I was properly shouting at the characters on screen. As a seasoned horror veteran I knew that the creepy letting agent wouldn't give up just because she lost her hand and the fact that the main characters were so oblivious to this enraged me as a critic.
But as a horror fan, it took me back to when you first started watching horror and you couldn't help but talk to the TV screen as the decision making of the protaganists became more and more obtuse and incredulous. Although at one time being cliched in the Scream aftermath of post modernism it felt like a breath of fresh air to sit down and watch some idiots run about an apartment block and get themselves into more trouble - SPOILER - quite why Mario frees the chained up mentalist after he has tried to attack his girlfriend is beyond me.



Beyond this my only gripes were the double flashback at the beginning that seemed pointless and confusing and the fact that I think a couple of the scares could have been timed and scored better to have a bigger impact - particularly in the shower (however, the build up was excellent). But these are small gripes when looking at the film as a whole. It may not be a terrifying edge of your seat horror, but there are enough creepy moments and characters to warrant giving this a shot.

It is also clear to see the origins of Rec from this film, and for that alone it is worth a watch (Its fair to say that I will never be staying in a Spanish apartment block - the list of things I can do is getting smaller every week). A creepy, effective little thriller, with a sound horror premise that is much bigger and better than its made for TV appearances.

Ally's Review: To Let

I had absolutely no expectations when Fin brought To Let to the table. When I learned that Fin was choosing a film from the same director as [Rec], I began to anticipate something a bit special. [Rec] is in the photo finish for my favourite horror film of the last decade. I think that it is absolutely spot-on in every way. This film was made before [Rec] and you can see some similar elements in this movie. The overall impression that I got from To Let was that this was done by a director who was just learning exactly how to create a great piece of horror. It’s a bit rough around the edges compared to REC. That's not to say that it isn't a good film in its own right.

Firstly, the director knows how to use an apartment block to add tension and creepiness. He takes this skill to another in [Rec], but we also see his brilliance here too. I also thought the story was excellent. I loved the premise of the insane woman, forcing people to stay in the apartment. She’s incredibly creepy and you want someone to smack her with shovel the whole film. The movie is very short, but it zips along well and there are few moments that don’t aid the story in some way.

The most flawed element of the movie is that the characters continually fail to dispatch their tormentor. You will find it impossible not to scream at them as they dawdle around, failing to seize their clear opportunity to escape. I suppose there is something very classic about this device, but somehow it misfires here – they kind of deserve to be recaptured or stopped, because they are so slow and weak (especially the husband: the softest man in any movie ever made).

There are some good set pieces on display, and the creepiness and frights are at a solid level. Ultimately though, my lasting impression from the movie was that it wasn’t quite there yet. Several of the jumps misfire when they could have worked superbly with better timing. This is the best example of what I meant about the director learning on the job. He hadn’t mastered the horror genre by this movie, he was still cutting his teeth. It was really good to see it because of that, so that you can see how he progressed with his skill. If I watched this movie without knowing anything about who directed it then I think I would have still enjoyed it, but I probably wouldn't have given it another moments thought. I think I feel more positive towards it because of how much I love [Rec].

Worth seeing for those who want to see flashes of brilliance from a director who would then put it all together later in his career. For anyone else? I’d probably still recommend it: it’s a solid film, although it won’t bowl anyone over.