La Noche del Ratón (David R.L., 2015): Spain

Reviewed by Phill Hunziker, Viewed at the Metro 4 Theater, part of the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2015.

As a young optimistic-yet-terrified aspiring filmmaker, this film gives me hope. With a budget of less than $7,000, 3 settings and a relatively unknown cast, these filmmakers were able to make an impressively compelling film. Through savvy writing, sound and camerawork, chilling acting and inspiring direction, this film never is dragged down by the standards of a low-budget indie project. It inspires me, showing me that it’s possible to make a strong feature (not just a short) with so little to work with. It takes a large amount of creativity and bravery; these filmmakers definitely have that.

The film follows Jorge (Unai Garcia) and Sandra (Miriam Cabeza) and the beginnings of their late night, out-of-town business trip. Everything flows ambiguously smooth until they make a stop at a gas station. There, their worst fears are realized as their worlds are flipped completely upside down. I don’t want to spoil anything, but trust me, it gets real intense real quick.

My previous praise doesn’t mean that this film doesn’t have its flaws. There are a few plot-holes, as well as a few moments were the story doesn’t seem to have a direction. The opening sequence is also confusing as it doesn’t seem to have any relation to the rest of the film. These inconsistencies are to be expected, though. This is the director’s first feature film. It’s also important to note that the co-writers are first-timers. Also, the cinematographer, editor and producer’s backgrounds are all limited to short films. So, there are sure to be more than a few bumps in the road. That being stated, it’s pretty damn impressive that they were able to make a film as compelling as this; one that was able to make its way into the SBIFF. For me, that’s tremendously inspiring.

Those aforementioned flaws, among others, are offset by superb acting, as well as a script that makes the most of it’s few locations. The camerawork is raw and dirty; a perfect fit for this film. For me, the sound was the driving force of it all. Not just the chilling score, but the enhancing of such simple sounds, such as Jorge’s gagging, the scraping of metal and the crinkling of a plastic wrapper. Those little things made the film feel so real, so raw.

This horror/suspense/drama/thriller flick is definitely suited more for fans of raw films. The casual moviegoer, for the most part, is sure to not enjoy it too much. Either way, I encourage you to challenge yourself and find a way to see this one, especially if you’re an aspiring filmmaker just getting started. You will learn a lot.