Hipnos (2004)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film opens with a dead mom and a girl in shock. The next thing we know Beatriz (Cristina Brondo) shows up at a sanitarium that contains said girl. She is a doctor who takes pills and sees events that don't happen. My mind quickly turned to "Shutter Island" as I try to figure out the events which are not fully explained (or well clued) until the end.The characters in the film were all confusing and not very likable, plus reading subtitles didn't help. Once you know the end, everything comes together making it a film you would need to watch a second time to catch things you missed the first time. Well structured, but not really a horror as much as a psychological thriller.Guide: sex and FF nudity (Cristina Brondo, Marisol Membrillo)

This one was a nice surprise! I really appreciate little films like these. A very tight Spannish psychological thriller, very stylish and well thought out (both story-wise and technically, with great shots and angles). A young woman (doctor) gets accepted to go and work in a mental institute. Things are not quite what they seem in there, and it doesn't take long before patients start to die. The first half of the movie indeed moves rather slow. And after that, things get really weird (the films of David Lynch come to mind). But in the end you get a plausible explanation, so the movie itself never derails. When you look at it afterwards, then you might figure out the explanation in the end yourself. But "Hipnos" does a very good job to keep the truth hidden until the final scenes. I say this one is certainly worth seeing. And yes, I'm generous in my rating, but there's just too many real crappy films on DVD out there. This one's absolutely not one of those.

I enjoyed this movie from the beginning because of the colors, the views and the tension you could feel in the air. For me its like a mix between "Abre los ojos" (Open your eyes) and "Sex and Lucia". Its a surreal story like the one in "Abre los ojos" but told in a similar way as "Sex and Lucia", quite mediterranean have to say. The movie kept me holding my breath till the end, made me wonder what was going on till the last minute. I also enjoyed the Making of, where they say they did not want to explain too much about the movie and that you have to make your own conclusions. For me it is like a psychological trip, something that has a beginning but not and end.

In the last few years Spanish cinema has witnessed the proliferation of a series of new directors who devote their careers to horror films and thrillers. While some of them have been quite irregular, others (specially Jaume Balagueró) have provided a new insight to the concept of Spanish thrillers. David Carreras, in his debut film, has shown a very promising skill as a director and screenwriter.Technically outstanding, "Hipnos" will make you bite your nails with only a few hints of blood and with no need of psychopaths or ghosts. While most thrillers are ruined by iffy endings, "Hipnos" is rounded by an acceptably believable third act. It could certainly have been better, but it should be praised by its value in technical aspects and storyline.