aka 3 Days, aka Before the Fall (on Sundance)
2008 Spanish with English sub-titles
Dir F. Javier Gutierrez (Best Dir @Screamfest 2009)
Victor Clavjo (Best Actor, Screamfest 2009)
Mariana Cordero & Eduard Fernandez (supporting actor awards at a few
Spanish film festivals)
Also won kudos for editing, screenplay, and a Goya for Best Sound.
Middle-aged mother and son seek refuge at her other son's house in the
country after it is announced that an enormous meteor is hurtling toward
Earth. As chaos begins to take over Spain (the film's setting), a serial killer
breaks loose from prison seeking revenge against one of the sons for
stopping his spree years earlier. At the remote house are the woman's four
grandchildren, ages 5-16, who are completely unaware of the impending
doom, for their parents are in another city and their grandmother refuses to
let them know what is about to happen.
Rated R for some foul language from the hero and short, shocking scenes
of violence. Gripping suspense with fairly realistic action; the hero is pretty
wimpy, and puts his family into some unexpected danger. The villain is
slimy but low-key, and the grandma is a rock. The impending disaster is
effectively kept simmering in the background, adding to the tension. This is
Gutierrez' first feature film as a director and co-screenwriter -- very
impressive, like Kathryn Bigelow's debut (also a horror flick), Near Dark.
