Night of the Seagulls

Don’t look for logic here. This film is an atmospheric, almost hypnotic horror experience with slow-motion shots of zombie-knights on horseback and dark music with demonic chants. The plot moves forward in such a way that it is never boring even for a moment. The uncovering of the mystery of the cursed coastal town is continuously carried out in brief sentences. And the weight of that mystery is the film’s main driving force, together with the great (even by today’s standards!) masks of the demonic “nazguls” and the impressively rendered gloomy sets. Of course, the film contains a certain amount of naïveté, but there’s not even a hit of the ridiculous. (16/01/2021)

The first half of this franchise was a massive disappointment and for some time I didn’t feel like watching the rest. Today I finally decided to put on at least the last and better reviewed part. I have the same issues I did with the first part, though this time it was little more fun. The horror props (ruins, a mysterious village, dead knights) deserve praise, unfortunately, they are not used to make a film with a quality that would match their potential. Even though I tried not to notice it (given the age of the film), there was one thing that bothered me: why is it clear in most night scenes that they were shot in daylight? Couldn’t the filmmakers have waited at least until it got overcast to avoid having those awful shadows everywhere? The film has the word “night” in its name for God’s sake! (14/06/2010)

The Spanish horror film Night of the Seagulls is part of a series that in and of itself is very good. This fourth film is also very good. The Templars on horseback are simply frightening, as if they cannot be stopped, as if death were inevitable. Add to that the contrast with beautiful women, and of course the pretty nice special effects. (14/01/2019)