★ 5 / 10
Great atmosphere wasted on a lack of engagement and direction
The Onetti brothers are definitely not new to the horror genre and have had their fingers in quite a few projects, also directing several horror movies. To be…
The Onetti brothers are definitely not new to the horror genre and have had their fingers in quite a few projects, also directing several horror movies. To be fair, most of these movies weren't that great, so my expectations were adjusted. But a horror movie set during the 1978 World Cup final in Argentina, in times of military dictatorship, sounded unique and interesting.The movie overall doesn't explain much about its initial setting, but in the first half at least we get a little bit of context about what is going on, even though it's rather shallow. We are introduced to many characters, most of whom are unlikeable and overall forgettable, and those we are supposed to root for don't talk at all. The acting is overall fine, and the movie has a tense atmosphere up until that point and then all of a sudden something happens and the whole atmosphere changes. It gets more dreadful and dark, and we are met with some great makeup effects and lots of carnage and gore that bursts out of nowhere. And even though that should be exactly what makes the movie engaging and entertaining, this is where it wastes most of its potential. From the massive lack of dialogue to the absence of any backstory or context, we are just thrown into this carnage without really knowing what is going on. We have no character to truly root for and are just passengers watching these hellish things take place.I enjoyed the general atmosphere, and the makeup effects were awesome, but the movie was not at all engaging. A clearer narrative with more context about what is happening and why would have benefited the film greatly. The events probably took place because the collective guilt of all the tortured souls from this era manifested into something supernatural through rituals, but we never get a clear answer. A genuine lead character or characters to root for would also have improved the movie. However, the way this film handles its story just feels unfinished and lazy in terms of narrative direction. It's also quite short, and usually I don't mind that, but here it just left me feeling unsatisfied in the end and like there was much more that should have been revealed to the audience. Overall, I can compliment the effects and the atmosphere the movie is going for, but it didn't engage me at all and left me feeling nothing when it finished, which is unfortunate since there was definitely potential in the premise and setting. [5,5/10]
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★ 5 / 10
madblocke-83985
Great and compelling forty first minutes: the acting, the photography and even the script build up a unique and captivating atmosphere set in a true dark and…
Great and compelling forty first minutes: the acting, the photography and even the script build up a unique and captivating atmosphere set in a true dark and infamous period of the Argentinian history.Unfortunately, the plot crumbles in the second half of the flix due to a fragile storytelling, a complete lack of dialogues, a not so convincing suspense with corny cliffhangers, and a confusing ending that leaves a void of unexplained scattered events. :( :( :( :( :( :( :(Such a waste of a magnificent idea and, therefore, quite disappointing. A really nice try though. Aim higher next time!!!
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★ 4 / 10
Good premise, no follow through
almagrimoira
I'm surprised how the entire imagery is taken from Baskin (2015). Almost everything, the building, the interior, the growling crowd, the blindfolds, the child…
I'm surprised how the entire imagery is taken from Baskin (2015). Almost everything, the building, the interior, the growling crowd, the blindfolds, the child birth. Even the highway at the end looks similar to Baskin. Can Evrenol surely deserves a nod.But apart from imagery and the second half of the movie being 'heavily suggestive of Baskin', the first half was really promising. I don't know though if there is possibly any other way to continue from there.Baskin had this problem too: a very good first half, then a long chapter of torture/brutality with no coherent story, then a flashback to some childhood memory, and an open ending.In many ways, 1978 is a spiritual retelling of Baskin, including its strengths and weaknesses.
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80%
AUDIENCE
4.8/10
1.5K
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why is there zombies eating a person on cover?