The House at the End of Time (2013)

The House At The End Of Time is touted as being the first feature length horror-thriller from Venezuela...and it is that country's highest grossing film of all time.It tells the story of a woman named Dulce, based on the experiences she has after moving into a house with a dark history.Basically, the house had sat abandoned for years, only to see the government seize it and offer to a family in need.Enter Dulce and her family.They move into the house, only to start experiencing eerie phenomenon.Then, one night, they are attacked by ghosts: an old man carrying a knife, and a young boy, at least.We follow from the perspective of Dulce, who wakes up bleeding on the ground...only to find her husband stabbed...and watch her son be seized away into the darkness.For this, she is arrested. Because there is no evidence that anyone else was ever in the house...and she can't explain the dead body and missing boy.Fast forward 30 years later, and Dulce (now an elderly woman) has been released from prison and returned to her home.She is under protective custody, but is adamant that she wants to find her child. So she illicits the help of the local priest.He is able to offer her moral and psychological support, but the police won't let him hang around long enough to help otherwise. So, she is left to deal with things on her own.And this is where it starts to get trippy.She begins to experience the events from that fateful day in her past again...but from the other side.Effectively making her the ghost that has been haunting her past self.And as the story continues, you slowly start to realize...that her and her family have become lost souls...trapped in time...living out their torment cyclically, forever.Which might seem horrific, if there wasn't a couple of light-hearted- and extremely clever- twists at the end.This film is expertly constructed in a circular fashion. And the second half acts as a mirror image of the first (in reverse).In this sense, it works a lot like Oculus. In that it is an engaging puzzler, whose direction shifts drastically, as you get deeper into the film and are provided with more context.And that is what makes this film so damn enjoyable.It's not too complex either. It's really easy to follow, which leaves it accessible to more mainstream audiences.This is a great film that you should definitely check out.Not only does it scare you...it establishes Hidalgo as a master manipulator.Definitely see this...and don't wait for the remake.7.5 out of 10.

It was a cleverly written film, well made and well acted. Though it's reminiscent enough of an often-adapted Stephen King short story that it doesn't feel entirely unique, it still manages to surprise. Unfortunately, the whole experience was overshadowed for me by the heavy undercurrent of "men are bad so it's alright to abuse them" sentiment that informed the film's treatment of its male lead. In an era where a great deal of cinema is keen to make a statement about gender, this film's position, that might not otherwise have stood out, seemed absolutely glaring.

I guessed the film was from Venezuela! It's a minor gem, maybe a cult movie but deserves to be considered in a Year's Ten Best Films. With a twisting time-bending plot quite similar to a Christopher Nolan film, it is in ways superior to most of Nolan's films. For one, despite a small budget and lack of highly experienced actors, it has solid acting and cinematography. Alejandro Hidalgo has to be applauded for how he put this film together and I imagine he will get bigger projects.The film gets a bit lost with its ambitious start in the middle of a crime scene, and hence somewhat confusing at times, a bit melodramatic, and at times a bit flat. However, the last 15- 20 minutes are stellar. As some reviewers suggest, it has heart but it also has intelligence. It's a smart film without special effects. It's not a horror film, despite being marketed as that (perhaps some people didn't see the movie!) but a bit of supernatural-science fiction drama. About love, remembrance…things that transcend time.It is a must see, simply because it shows a minor international director without a budget can produce a film as good as any large production with a top director. A beautiful film, despite its flaws. Sadly it will not get the audience it deserves. My real rating? 7.5-7.7 but I bump it to 8 due to ratings being slightly low. Perhaps some people don't appreciate love and art. And a bit of twist.

For all intents and purposes 'The House at the End of Time' looks to be a typical haunted house film - but it is much, MUCH more than that. IMDb has this tagged as a Drama Horror Mystery Thriller; if I had to use four words to describe 'The House at the End of Time' I would say: this movie has heart.Dulce is a housewife and mother charged with the murder of her husband Juan José and young son Leopoldo. After thirty years in prison, an elderly Dulce is granted a concession to serve out her sentence at home under police guard. When the local parish priest pays her a visit, Dulce is forced to recount the events of thirty years ago: a mysterious entity within the house tormented her family, resulting in the death of Juan José and the mysterious disappearance of Leopoldo. As the priest uncovers the strange history of the house, Dulce again finds herself in the entity's grip.Where the film goes from here is an unexpected delight. Whilst it jumps around from thriller to drama to mystery and back again, the film never strays from its core - one of the other reviews noted that it takes you where it wants to take you, which is a very apt description. I will leave this for you to experience but will say that the director really hit the nail on the head when needed: whether creepy, tense, touching, dramatic or humorous, there is a definite sense that each scene has been very lovingly crafted. I particularly enjoyed the sound design and colour palette in this film but these are just a couple of the many nice technical touches throughout that back up an already strong story.I did have a couple of VERY minor quibbles, most notably some typical horror tropes that have been done to death and some mushy (but sparsely used) CGI effects. However, these are VERY minor hang ups and in no way detract from the film's impact.In all, a highly recommended film for anyone in the mood for a thriller, drama, mystery and/or horror movie with a little bit of a twist. Just be sure to ditch the expectations beforehand!