Under the Rose

A pretty harsh Spanish genre film that doesn't pull any punches. An inherently evil and cynical film in which it's hard to determine who the real bad guy is. From a purely moral point of view, the whole thing is twisted and turned on its head. [85%] (16/02/2022)

The Spaniards strike again! Last year the strongest Spanish genre film was The Invisible Guest, since then nothing, and now they are back in force with another shocking thriller that meets classic Spanish features. The whole film takes place in one room, in an apartment where a family and their daughter's kidnapper are sitting. The kidnapper doesn't want money, he wants a confession of secrets from one of the family members, and they have until 6 am or their daughter will die. While visually the film may seem poorer, its greatest strength lies in the script and the performances. As the family's horrifying secrets from the past are revealed, you begin to root more for the kidnapper, which is pleasantly paradoxical. The film spices up the psychological terror to the max and manages to be pleasantly shocking on several occasions, especially the final twist is utterly disarming and very uncomfortable for the male audience. A great little film that fans of Spain should definitely not miss. 80% (08/06/2018)