Having watched three horror films in one day, this film being one of them, Julia’s Eyes stood out as by far the best and most affecting of the three. Julia (Belén Rueda) has a rare eye condition that means she will gradually go blind. Her twin sister Sara (also Belén Rueda) also suffers from the condition and went totally blind which she apparently could not cope with and so commits suicide. But we know that there is more to the suicide than meets the eye (no pun intended) as we see her talking to an invisible force just before she hangs herself. Having not spoken to her twin in six months Julia feels confused by the suicide, particularly as a song playing on the stereo in Sara’s house before she committed suicide is one Julia knew she detested. So Julia starts investigating her sisters life and soon discovers a mysterious man that no-one seems to have seen was present in her life. As Julia begins to uncover more of the mystery surrounding the death of her sister her eyesight deteriorates and she is rendered blind and vulnerable and becomes the victim of the same force that killed her sister. This might sound like a huge plot spoiler but there is so much more to the film than this.
I watched this film on a small screen on a busy coach and I was still completely riveted from beginning to end. This is one of the best horror films I have seen in a long time. Julia is an intelligent heroine whose vulnerability is deeply moving. There are scenes that are incredibly tense and quite a few twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With Mexican director Guillermo del Toro on board as producer the film has extra kudos and Spanish director Guillem Morales does a splendid job of creating an original horror film.
Some of the techniques employed throughout, such as not showing the heads of certain characters, are extremely effective at allowing the audience to experience what Julia experiences and also means we have no idea what people’s identities really are until they are deliberately revealed. This film is a psychological rollercoaster ride made all the more authentic by Belén Rueda’s incredible performance. This is an intelligent film that employs great cinematic devices to ensure its audience experiences with and feels for the protagonist and if you are in the mood for an inventive horror film then this is the film to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment