It's been too long since Director Juan Carlos Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has stepped behind the camera. His last outing came with 2007's 28 Weeks Later, the slickly-crafted and entertaining follow-up to Director
Danny Boyle's superb 28 Days Later. That gap between pictures is simply too long for a director
of Fresnadillo's skill. His latest, the Clive Owen (The International)-starring Chiller Intruders, lacks thematic heft
and a tight script, but Fresnadillo turns a rattly Horror story into an wonderfully atmospheric and involved little picture that overcomes its shortcomings
with a good bit of flair and directorial know-how. Despite a fairly convoluted plot that, even when it sorts out the specifics in the final minutes, almost
demands audiences re-watch with the ending in mind to truly get a grasp on the who's, what's, when's, where's and why's of the story, the
movie
plays the first time through with a confident air, solidified by that intoxicatingly moody direction and convincing performances that keep the movie
flowing even if the story never quite finds that air of importance or that influx of intensity to really build Intruders into the complete
picture it so desperately wants to be and should have been.
The end and the beginning.
In Spain, young Juan (Izán Corchero) lives with his mother Luisa (Pilar López de Ayala). He's penning a scary nighttime story but leaves it
incomplete. He's later that night startled to learn that monsters are, indeed, very much real. He and his mother and haunted and hunted by a
faceless, towering
figure known as "Hollowface," a creature in search of a face to steal and call its own. Luisa seeks spiritual help for Juan, but it appears that the
monster exists beyond the scope of aid the church may provide. Meanwhile, in England, young Mia (Ella Purnell) unearths a handwritten ghost
story, rewrites it in her own hand, and passes the work off as her own in front of a captivated classroom. The story is that of Hollowface, the same
creature which troubles Juan. Mia befalls the same fate as the little boy from Spain. The monster stalks her, and her father John (Owen) physically
and emotionally fights the beast alongside her. But mother Susana (Carice van Houten) believes the problem runs deeper, that both her husband
and daughter are
suffering from psychological -- imagined -- problems and are not, in fact, battling a faceless being. Security is increased and doctors are consulted,
but can both families find the truth behind the Hollowface figure before either -- or both -- child falls victim to it?
The story of Intruders spans borders, genders, actions, responses, and another critical element that shall remain nameless. Shared
amongst
these otherwise separate peoples and places is the common enemy, the mysterious "Hollowface," the classic monster in the closet, creature under
the
bed, the hulking, terrifying shape that comes in the night with a remorseless presence to terrify little kids, and worse. Intruders is
built around the classic nightmare nighttime tale of evil that, as Metallica might say, leaves youngsters sleeping with one eye open and gripping that
pillow tightly. This is literally the story of the boogeyman incarnate, but the main attraction isn't the adversary but rather how he exists
and
why he stalks these two seemingly unconnected and distant children who share not the same home, sex, or anything superficially obvious.
As
the story develops, it never quite seems to find a thematic rhythm, to tell its story with the exactness it requires to truly sort out by the end. Even
as
the final minutes do much of the legwork in spelling out the truth, the movie actually works better in hindsight a second time through with an
understanding of where it's headed -- how
and why -- than it does in the first viewing when the audience is armed only with the passing knowledge, not the understanding of the greater
whole. That's a
blessing and a curse, in a way; a blessing in that the movie almost demands a second watch, a curse meaning that the narrative isn't quite as
polished
as it probably should be. Still, Intruders makes a worthwhile watch whether on the first or the second, thanks largely to the moody, precise
direction and skillful acting.
Intruders is the beneficiary of Fresnadillo's organic, fluent direction. The picture makes wonderful use of shadow, subtle movement,
mood, and film mechanics to milk the story for all its worth. The dichotomy between Spain and England and darkly religious overtones and glossier,
more modern methods of combat is stark, but visually balanced. Even when the film fails to fully submerge its audience into the specifics of the plot
and the interesting juxtapositions that exist, Fresnadillo makes the transition from one to the next an effortless one. The film oozes not necessarily
style -- it's
subtle and tasteful, not exotic and artistic -- but rather confidence and professionalism. It's a fine example of a movie aided greatly by pinpoint,
effortless scary movie filmmaking, not dissimilar in that way to Let Me In, though certainly that movie's darker underbelly and
tighter, more gripping story elevate it greatly above Intruders. Still, Intruders follows suit in its fundamentally sound façade, rising
above the typical dark Horror movie set against the world of fairy tales and childhood horrors, Fresnadillo's picture a shadowy, alluring tale made with
a sure hand. The cast is fantastic, too, elevating the picture beyond the somewhat convoluted story and shaping real characters with whom the
audience may both sympathize and, thanks also to the direction, experience their fears, doubts, uncertainties, and relationships. Ella Purnell shines
as the frightened, troubled, and traumatized female victim, while Izán Corchero turns in an equally powerful, moving, and intense effort as the male
victim of Hollowface's menacing presence. Clive Owen's effortless, natural turn as Mia's father captures the spirit of a man working to protect his
family at all costs, but it's the nuance -- which takes shape at film's end -- that sells the performance and enhances it upon repeat viewings. There's
an evident rapport between the cast, those within their own halves of the picture, at least, which also elevates the material and yields a more stable,
believable foundation even up against the otherwise unbelievable stuff of scary storybooks come to life.
Intruders features a 1080p transfer that's reflective of the film's natural slightly soft and gloomy photography. Millennium's 1080p transfer
delivers a nicely
filmic, nearly spotless image that should satisfy all comers. Though slightly soft by nature, the image captures fabulously rich, natural details, whether
human faces, general clothing textures, or stunningly realistic exteriors, both natural green foliage and stone and brick structures. Colors are dim by
design, often having been gobbled up by the shadows and low-lighting conditions, but viewers will spot some accurate, stable shadings in a handful of
brightly-lit interiors; warm, sun-drenched exteriors; and even some overcast London daytime shots, an example coming early in the film in a scene
featuring John and a co-worker high atop a construction site, both men wearing blazing-orange safety vests (even if the scene appears to have been
filmed in a soundstage). Shadow detail is critical to the film's success -- the dark visuals must remain convincingly so -- and Millennium's transfer
delivers some consistently great blacks. Likewise, flesh tones are presented with a true, accurate coloring. The image does feature a few trace spots and
speckles, but hardly enough to cause alarm. Light grain retention stabilizes the image, and the transfer appears largely free of any bothersome banding,
edge enhancement, blocking, or unnatural smoothness. This is a wonderful, very rich, film-like transfer, the kind that Blu-ray is all about.
Intruders features a precise, involved, and complete Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music delivery enjoys constant smoothness,
whether
lighter, flowing notes or sharper, piercing Horror movie-style shrieks and sonic jumps. Clarity remains impeccable no matter the energy, volume, or
tenor
of the music. Spacing is even and natural; the surrounds don't carry a large portion of the music, but instead subtly support the front speakers. The
track also
features excellent primary and environmental sound effect elements. Action scenes deliver heavy, loud jolts that nicely recreate a few moments of
chaotic,
adrenaline-charged conflict, but it's in the smaller, supportive, more nuanced, background, world-shaping effects where the track shines. A cat's meow
plays naturally from a distance. Gently falling rain envelops the stage with a steady, true-life cadence while light thunder gently rolls around the sides
and back, both coming together in the recreation of worldly elements with sonic perfection. Indeed, all the slight little supporting ambient sounds gel
with the greater
whole, helping to give shape to a believable listening environment. Intruders additionally features precise, smooth, accurate, front-focused
dialogue; Spanish language stretches are supported by automatic English subtitles. This is a high quality, seamless, practically faultless soundtrack from
Millennium Entertainment.
Intruders contains the following three supplements:
Featurette (480p, 7:39): Cast and crew speak on the qualities of the story, the layers within it, blending realism and the supernatural,
shooting locales and how the differences in cultures shape the film, and Fresnadillo's work.
Behind the Scenes (480p, 19:49): Another piece that looks closely at the story, crafting the movie, and more, with interview snippets,
clips from the film, and plenty of raw on-set footage.
Previews: Additional Millennium Entertainment titles.
Intruders isn't in the same league as Let Me In or other dark, terrifying children-and-monsters tales, but it's a remarkably well crafted
and equally well acted picture that works through an occasionally sluggish and confused narrative and elevates the movie both on the first viewing and
the critical second. Indeed, the movie demands a second watch, and proves better the second time around, for it plays better looking for
nuance than it does waiting for the reveal. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo demonstrates -- again -- a fabulous eye for cinema, and his next project comes
eagerly awaited. Millennium's Blu-ray release of Intruders features exceptional video and stellar audio. The supplemental package is scant, but
this release nevertheless comes recommended.
In July, Millennium Home Entertainment will bring Intruders to Blu-ray. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), this supernatural thriller focuses on a terrifying, faceless entity hunting children in two different countries. Intruders is expected ...
