Slamdance 2011 Review: Atrocious

A Spanish answer to Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project with plenty of blood and creepiness

The “found footage” genre has a fairly long history with many examples throughout the years walking a fine line between reality and horror. We all know of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity as being the two top dogs of recent years, however a new European entry is attempting to stake its claim as the next big thing in this realm. Spanish director Fernando Barreda Luna has thrown his own hat into the mix with Atrocious, a Spanish ghost story captured on tape with the atmosphere of a Gothic horror tale. Premiering at Slamdance, the film is presented as a police evidence tape which has edited footage of a gruesome mass murder that occurred in April 2010 in the Spanish countryside around Sitges (ironically home to Europe’s largest genre film festival).

The Quintanilla family, comprised of teenage brother and sister Cristian and July, younger brother Jose, mother Debora, and father Santiago, decides to spend their Easter vacation in Sitges at Debora’s family’s country estate. Cristian and July at first are not so keen but, as amateur filmmakers, they decide to make the most of it by investigating an urban legend involving a girl lurking in the surrounding forest. If you are lost and happen to run into her, she will guide you home. The legend proves to be far different than reality as we soon learn. Upon their arrival at the estate, Cristian and July instantly come across the old, somewhat overgrown hedge labyrinth that is next door, secured by a solitary, rusty gate. The siblings instantly investigate the labyrinth discovering its deceptive pathways; even with the aid of scratched markers, it is easy to become disoriented and that’s just in the daytime. After the first couple of days, events stay relatively normal although there are a few minor warning signs that something may be afoot.

The narrative picks up momentum though when the family’s dog Robin disappears after a barking fit that is recorded on Cristian’s camera in night vision mode. As an audience member, it is a no-brainer to figure out what happens next. Suffice it to say, not many pets survive horror movies. This first incident though provides the catalyst for the third and final night’s terror, as the family (minus Esteban who is called back to the city for business) chases around the labyrinth in the dead of night, facing unseen forces as the night vision captures the frantic escape once they discover they are not alone. From that point forward, the real horror begins. Suffice it to say, expect plenty of bumps in the night, screaming, crying, and plenty of blood.

Honestly though, what sets Atrocious apart from the Blair Witches and Paranormal Activities is actual, good technical filmmaking; Cristian and July, despite their grating personalities at times, are adept camera people who actually know how to use their equipment, get coverage, look for interesting material to shoot, etc. Moreover, the frequent fast forwards and rewinds initiated by the “viewer” ingeniously provide Luna with an excuse to flashback and flash forward events in a believable manner. Moreover, the quotations from other horror films such as Blair Witch’s shaky, handheld aesthetic combined with Paranormal’s night vision and static camera shots are unmistakable.

However, Luna also mixes in an incredibly number of nods towards The Shining; most obvious to audiences will be the hedge labyrinth but also other clues such as the enormous, forbidding estate, the use of certain blade implements, and a few other attributes that I cannot share here due to spoilers. Suffice it to say, the filmmakers have created a successful blend between old school, atmospheric terror and the newer, more disorienting, visceral camera styles of today. Style though never overrides the story or performances though.

To learn more, go to www.atrociousthemovie.com