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The Dark Hour

The Dark Hour (2006)

October. 06,2006
|
5.8
| Horror Thriller Science Fiction Mystery

The eight years boy Jesús has been living in a crumbling underground facility since he was born with eight survivors of an apocalyptical war: the leader Maria and her lover Pablo; the gays Lucas and Mateo; the astronomer Magdalena and the teenager Ana; the soldier Pedro and the lonely Judas. They are permanently is state of surveillance, threatened by the contaminated mutants The Strangers and once a day they have to lock themselves in their rooms without heating to protect against the dangerous ghosts The Invisibles that attack in the Cold Hour. They cannot go to the surface, destroyed by a nuclear war. When they need supplies, medications and ammunitions, they organize expeditions to a store. When the menace of The Invisibles affects the safety of the group of survivors, they need to reach the surface. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Marketic
2006/10/06

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

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BelSports
2006/10/07

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

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Tayyab Torres
2006/10/08

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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Hattie
2006/10/09

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

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noelcox
2006/10/10

This is a great little movie, not perfect - the multiple threats are too improbable - but really atmospheric. The ending is a revelation, and makes a lot of sense given earlier details (though there remain unanswered, and probably unanswerable, questions).I really enjoyed it, but it could be depressing and grim if you are not in the right frame of mind.

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ma-cortes
2006/10/11

"The Dark Hour" deals with a group of people formed by eight survivors of an apocalyptical war , all of them are living into a rotten underground surrounded by strange creatures . They cannot leave the complex and they live in an usual state of vigilance . The misfit bunch is constantly in situation of control , as they are besieged by the contaminated mutants who spread a deadly virus and the Strangers , some invisible as well as menacing beings . The older people attempt the children learn about life by teaching them . They try to rehabilitate children who feel no pain or distress . But the food supplies are running out and they are physically suffering and urgently need medicines and weapons , so that they must leave the secure area . What lurks outside the small area they inhabit, however, is so threatening that they dare not even speak of it . Mankind's fate is sealed . There's a final quote during the end credits: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, as said by J. Robert Oppenheimer after the first nuclear test detonation in Los Alamos.Spanish Sci-Fi/horror film set in a dystopian world full of thrills , suspense , chills and creepy twists and turns . ¨La Hora Fria¨ or ¨The cold hour¨ weaves a fantastic story , about a group of eight people searching for whatever thing necessary for his survival . As they live isolated in crumbling installations , the group is finely performed by Silke , Julio Periñan , Omar Muñoz and special mention for veteran Pepo Oliva as a lonely old man . This scary , bizarre film contains tension , thriller drama , mystery , plot twists and shocks , including decent scares with tense terror sequences especially in its final part , in a creepy as well as amazing denouement . A low budget Spanish production with a timeline that spans through a few days , it is a thriller that begins introducing the varied characters and goes on through until a surprising final . ¨La Hora Fria¨ suffers from some sputtering about a quarter of the way in , the sputtering came from an unique scenario, away from spectacular set pieces and toward a very sad story line , one which suffers from some slow-moving scenes and claustrophobic atmosphere . Interesting screenplay by the same director revolving the mental disintegration of a diverse group and the various amazing surprises they find . The motion picture is pretty well , although sometimes deliberate pacing and packs a lot of turns ; however is entertaining for continuous suspense and intriguing as well as shady atmosphere . The picture is thrilling and some moment brilliant, and the players are quite reliable . Ghastly movie builds taut by showing virtually well staged set pieces , appropriately sinister settings , enjoyable soundtrack and gloomy cinematography . Few disagree that the film is professionally mounted , the performances solid , and that it respectfully carries on the tradition and borrowing several elements of Spanish "horror" films . Furthermore , ¨La Hora Fria¨ takes parts here and there from known films such as ¨Omega man¨, ¨Dark city¨ , ¨28 weeks later¨ , ¨day of the dead¨ , among others . Rousing as well as disturbing musical score by Alfons Conde , a good composer expert on dark atmospheres such as he proved in "Blind Alley" or ¨El Callejon¨ , ¨Viento En Contra¨, ¨Abandoned¨, and ¨Nodo¨or "The Haunting", the latter also directed by Quiroga . Adequate cinematography by Angel Fernández who creates an unique atmosphere , he's Pedro Almodovar's regular cameraman , as he photographed "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" , ¨Matador¨, ¨La Ley Del Deseo¨ . This is a motion picture displaying genuine chills , suspense, mystery and dark atmosphere and twisted finale , being skillfully proceeded by Elio Quiroga and turned out to one of the most unusual Spanish thrilling movies of 2006 and certainly one of the most unsettling . Quiroga is a good director and writer, known for ¨Fotos¨ , ¨Nodo¨ and this his most successful film , ¨La Hora Fria¨ ; he also directed shorts and documentary .

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Siamois
2006/10/12

This lackluster Spanish sci-fi film tells the post-apocalyptic tale of a small group of people trying to survive in an underground complex. There's no doubt that there is a quirky Euro feel at work here but it isn't enough to save a very weak script and poor direction. Elio Quiroga probably did not have much budget to work with but his use of the environment is unbearably bland compared to filmmakers that preceded him. And there is no doubt that had this movie been produced and shot in the US with American actors, the rating would be much lower.Some reviews have praised the actors on display when they are in fact terrible. Not that they are entirely to blame because the script itself is ladden with clichés and has a raw, immature feel to it. All the characters are essentially cardboard stereotypes defined by their function or simply (and dumbly) by their demographic. "Here's the scientist, the soldier, the kid, the old loner and oh, the homosexual". Talk about poor writing there. The film starts abruptly and then unfolds slowly and as an audience, you expect you will gradually understand the stakes here, what these survivors are hiding from. There are various threats to their survival but none make any sense and eventually, you figure out that what you thought would be explained is really just poor writing. Where the film shines however is with its quirky style of aesthetics. There's definitely a strong Euro flavor to the way this movie was shot, and there's also a lovely vibe of the old cold war sci-fi going. In this sense, director Quiroga is like a poor man's Terry Gilliam.While La Hora Fria touches upon several genres (drama, sci-fi, horror, action) it unfortunately fails to excel at even one of those and ends up being a major disappointment. The big "reveal" at the end just can't save this movie. Very disappointed at the rating. I guess IMDb viewers are traditionally more lenient when rating b-movies that are foreign.

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Eduardo Romo
2006/10/13

Settling into the story, be prepared for a character-driven study, even hinted at within the movie itself. The acting is superb, the story intriguing, and the conclusion leaves you answering AND asking questions. The director brought it all together and made everything work. There are some drawbacks in terms of character/story logic - why wait so long to confront the Strangers? Would you believe Pedro's version of events? - but they do not take away from the experience of "living" through young Jesus and his video camera. It's one of those films for which I am BEGGING to be released on DVD in the US with a director's commentary. There HAS to be some importance to the character names - Jesus, Judas, Maria, Magda, Peter, Paul, Matt, Luke - even Paul stops by. Someone can take it and write a dissertation...if you do, please post a link. I've got more movies to watch and review...

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