DVD REVIEW: ‘Atrocious’ is one of the scariest movies of the year

I enjoy the Kool-Aid that Bloody Disgusting Selects is supplying. The company’s commitment to independent horror movies this past year has been one of the few bright spots in the film industry. They carefully select clever, scary, intense features that would not receive typical distribution in movie theaters or DVD stores.

From Cold Fish to Berlin Undead to Phase 7, the distribution company has given moviegoers some of the best horror in years.

Atrocious, which is a Spanish found-footage movie, continues the excellence of Bloody Disgusting Selects. The film is atmospheric and terrifying. It builds to a bloody crescendo that had me wanting to look away from the screen.

Yes, it’s another shaky-cam horror film. Yes, there’s not much plot or characterization. Yes, it’s not revolutionary.

Who cares? The purpose is to scare, and this one does it with flair.

Atrocious is an eerily effective film that may prove to be the scariest movie of the year. Bloody Disgusting recently released the film on DVD. There are few bonus features, other than a short making-of documentary and English dub version. Still, despite the weak bonuses, the movie is worth checking out.

Here’s our review from earlier in the year…

Prepare to jump out of your seats.

The latest feature from Bloody Disgusting Selects is an independent horror film from Spain that genuinely sends chills up and down the spine. Atrocious, which runs a slim 75 minutes, features little characterization and almost no plot. However, the effectiveness of Fernando Barreda Luna’s film is palpable.

Using the cliche, yet always interesting, shaky-cam technique that was made popular with The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity, the movie tells the mysterious tale of the Quintanilla family and how they all come together for a few days at their country estate in Sitges, Spain.

Cristian (Cristian Valencia) decides to document the entire visit. He’s an aspiring filmmaker who tracks different urban legends with his sister, July. While visiting their parents’ estate, they’re interested in the story of a young girl who went missing in the extensive labyrinth on the property.

In the beginning, not much occurs in Atrocious. Cristian and July arrive at the country house. They are greeted by family members. Everything seems peaceful and bucolic. Barreda Luna has a way of making the footage feel like a genuine home video.

Then the siblings decide to venture into the maze, and all hell begins to break loose. The director has an uncanny ability of making these rows of hedges come alive with a deadening eeriness. At every turn, it feels like Cristian and July are going to stumble upon a ghost or demon.

What eventually does happen shouldn’t be spoiled for potential viewers, although as is the case with most “found-footage” horror films, the consequences are typically dire. The last 20 minutes of the movie are some of the most psychotically tense moments in any film this year.

Although the shaky-cam technique has been overused, the style works for Atrocious. Because of this convoluted maze, turning the camera around with quick, jerky movements creates an unbelievably intense atmosphere. Even if there weren’t any jump-at-you scare moments, Atrocious would still be edge-of-your-seat scary.

As a society, we are scared to look into the darkness, scared to see what’s behind the next corner. Atrocious knows this and exploits the fear to the fullest effect.

There’s just something terrifying about a home video filming in the darkness.

The acting is all believable and, for the most part, makes the movie feel pretty close to actual found footage. The one problem is that because the writer-director is so dedicated to leaving questions unanswered, the characters never fully develop. This a quick, 75-minute horror tale, almost like a short story. It’s interested in atmosphere and the allurement of urban legends. Plot and characters are secondary thoughts.

The movie won’t work for every viewer. The shaky cam is quite shaky, and the nebulousness of the ending will feel unsatisfying, much like The Blair Witch Project. But for those viewers who are able to give themselves over to Atrocious, the rewards can be quite fulfilling. For a movie that feels like it was made for $100 over the course of two days, Atrocious packs a horrific punch.

The movie is an example of visceral filmmaking that demands the attention of the viewer. It grabs the audience by the neck and never lets go.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Atrocious

• 2011

• Written and directed by Fernando Barreda Luna

• Starring Rafael Amaya, Jose Masegosa and Chus Pereiro

• Running time: 75 minutes

• Rated R for grisly images and language throughout

• Rating:

• Click here to purchase Atrocious on DVD.

• Click here for more information on Bloody Disgusting Selects.