At the End of the Spectra (2006)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

"At the End of the Spectra" is a better than expected though flawed ghost film.**SPOILERS**Going out to the countryside, Vega, (Noelle Schonwald) arrives at an isolated apartment building and hopes the trip will help her deal with her newly-found sense of paranoia, as she finds the solitude encouraging. Exploring the place, she begins to grow more acclimated to it, which doesn't sit well with her father, (Kepa Amuchastegui) who doesn't like her being alone. After a few more days being alone, she starts to think that someone is in the apartment with her, and learns from neighbor Tulipán, (Julieth Restrepo) about a former resident who spent years in a mental hospital recovering from a deadly disease before dying. Convinced that is the ghost which has been haunting the place, she tries to find a way of helping to get rid of it before it does her and others harm.The Good News: There was some good stuff here at times. One of the best features is that, even though the film isn't the fastest moving film around, it's still actually a benefit to the film during this time. Even though it's not really featuring any ghost action at all, which doesn't come until the second half, and is in bits and spurts during that point anyway, leaving only a couple of scenes that are actually somewhat interesting in most senses, yet this one doesn't really have that much of a bad sense about it, letting it's early parts breathe quite easily and it makes it somewhat easy to get into, even though those looking for a fast-moving film won't be too impressed. Another good part is the aforementioned ghost attacks in the second half, which are quite fun. There's a couple of really good scenes shown on a closed-circuit TV, including a really good one while she's sleeping that plays just as well as anything coming out of Asia at the moment, the shots out into the hallway that reveal what a peephole doesn't is actually quite impressive, and there's a couple more fun scenes that show-up later on to make it seem quite fun and enjoyable. There's even two big, high-profile attack scenes inside a bathtub, of all places, that manages to score quite highly with some thrilling action and a fun outcome each time, as well as being the only time throughout the film any blood is shown, making them all the better due to that fact. The last plus is the fact that, as well as all these scenes, the final encounter in here is just a lot of fun and manages to be one of the best features. These here are the film's good points.The Bad News: There was a couple of flaws in this one. One of the biggest is a point mentioned earlier, that the film doesn't move at all that fast despite being so short. This one feels much longer than it really is, as the beginning of this one is so hard to get into. There's no excitement in these scenes at all, they just drag on and on and on due to it being almost the exact same thing being repeated where she gets into her surroundings and starts to freak out over something before looking around and seeing nothing. That is pretty much the extent of the first half of the film, punctuated by appearances from one or two people through a peephole, but even those moments are kept at a minimum due to it going right back to previous events. This just makes the film such a chore at times, and while it actually manages to stay on topic and not get bogged down in useless subplots, the effect is not a fast-moving film in any way. The only other real problem here is the fact that the film is really quite confusing during the end, where, through a combination of chaotic camera-work, near-absence of dialog and a cramped location, it's impossible to tell what exactly has happened. Nothing is really explained, just it showcases a succession of activity without really doing anything to say what it meant or what officially happened, as the whole thing transpires without us knowing what's happening, and it makes for a disjointed effort at times. These here are all that's really wrong with it.The Final Verdict: While not perfect in any event, this one still has enough good points to make it a viable, if unnecessary entry. Really only recommended to those who enjoy the slower-burning horror entries or are a ghost-film completist, while those not too fond of those or aren't impressed should heed caution.Rated R: Violence and some Language

This Colombian-made thriller may not win any prizes for originality, but what it does, it does well. Effectively blending elements lifted from Repulsion and countless J-horror films, Al Final del Espectro stars the marvelous Noelle Schonwald as Vega, a filmmaker trying to recover from the shock of seeing her boyfriend almost killed on the job. Her father sets her up in a dank apartment, where she installs several closed circuit cameras to bring order and safety to her world. Of course, the effect of the cameras is the exact opposite of what she intends, and strange and spooky events begin to unfold on the grainy VCR footage. Schonwald's performance reminded me of early Christina Ricci; physically, she looks like an adult version of little Kyra Schon, the terrifying child zombie from the original Night of the Living Dead. This is an extremely claustrophobic thriller that works magnificently until the third act revelations, which unfortunately leech much of the mystery and horror out of the film--a mistake not made by Polanski in Repulsion. Still and all, this is an above average chiller from a country not usually associated with the genre.

I went to see this movie with high expectations, mainly because a Horror movie made in Colombia is something you can't watch everyday. What i've found was a very good color quality, good use of sound but a quite poor story, a Colombian remake of "A tale of two sisters".I really enjoy Colombian films, mostly because they're original, and our filmmakers don't use to repeat a story... every story has a different spark. But honestly and sincerely, this movie sounded like "Hey, we're Colombian filmmakers, we also know how to make a long-black-haired lady coming out wet from a bath tube and with an erratic way of moving" ... so commercial, so American-remake ... in other words: "Roy Lee, this is your movie, we've made this for you" I'm sure Kidman could be nuts if she really wants to participate in a remake of this movie... this is not gonna work, i'm sure.

Very very good. It's cinematography will surely win the Colombian Film Award next year. The editing and the direction were superb, giving us very well-done tension moments. I liked the story in general and it looked to me extremely claustrophobic.Such a cool ending. Very scary.Noelle was very good here, and also the beautiful Julieth Restrepo, in her movie debut. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was Tulipán a lesbian? Cause there are facts that can prove it...Congratulations, cast and crew, I hope the American remake don't destroy this amazing amazing amazing Colombian movie. Keep working.