THE SIMILARS
- RELEASE DATE: Now Available on VOD
- WRITTEN BY: Isaac Ezban
- DIRECTED BY: Isaac Ezban
- STARRING: Gustavo Sanchez Parra, Luis Alberti, Carmen Beato, Fernando Becerril
-Reviewed by Daniel XIII
A small group of travelers find themselves stranded in a bus station during a massive rainstorm when a strange phenomenon begins to occur. That’s the premise for the new flick from director Isaac Ezban THE SIMILARS; a film that plays like a long lost episode of The Twilight Zone, period setting and all.
Now while I hit the basics of the plot above, there’s a tad more to the tale. See that rainstorm I mentioned above? Well; it’s not just affecting Mexico (where this flick is set); rather it seems to be a worldwide cataclysmic event (as related by radio broadcasts that play throughout the film). And that “strange phenomenon”? Well, to give that away would ruin part of the fun, but I will say that it involves mine worker Ulises and a severe case genetic mutation that utilizes our hero as a springboard of sorts. Add into the mix a panicked mystic, an equally off-kilter bathroom attendant, and a socialite and her son…a son that needs constant injections for a mysterious ailment.
If there’s one thing THE SIMILARS has going for it (but believe you me it has plenty going for it) it’s a great atmosphere. Loaded to the top with rapidly escalating terror and quirky (sometimes sinister) characters, all trapped within a remote location with doors that will not open and a vicious dog roaming the grounds; ; THE SIMILARS feels like it takes place in a world a few steps to the side of our own. Also of note is the film’s desaturated color that makes it appear nearly black and white (which doesn’t hurt in aiding and abetting that The Twilight Zone comparison I mentioned earlier). I should also mention that the small cast is genuinely excellent in their roles; most of which degenerate to lunacy at one point or another.
If I had one negative with this film (well it’s not actually with the film at all); it’s that the subtitles (the film is presented in Spanish) are filled with typos…that always pulls me out of a subtitled flick; but admittedly that may be just me.
Surreal, riveting, and full of a great vintage flair; THE SIMILARS is a wickedly weird winner of a sci-fi flick! I highly recommend this one; and I’m anxious to see what writer/director Ezban brings us next!
The Outre Eye of Daniel XIII 