Released on June 19, 2017. Currently unavailable on Blu-ray/DVD, On Demand, and digital download! Big Sad Face!!!

EL INCIDENTE (2014)

Directed by Isaac Ezban
Written by Isaac Ezban
Starring Raúl Méndez, Nailea Norvind, Hernán Mendoza, Humberto Busto, Fernando Álvarez, Gabriel Santoyo, Paulina Montemayor, Héctor Mendoza, Leonel Tinajero, Marcos Moreno, Luciana Villegas, Adrián Ladrón de Guevara, Leticia González y Magda Brugengheim
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The only reason this film isn’t on the main countdown is because it doesn’t seem to be available at the moment. I saw it at a festival and it appears at some time, the film was available in DVD/Blu-ray. Until it is released, just put it on your list of films you NEED to see.

Films like PI, CUBE and TIME CRIMES often come to mind when talking about innovative and low fi takes on sci fi, using innovative concepts to tell a tale that is one step beyond what we call reality. I dare to add EL INCIDENTE to the list of sci fi films that folks will be talking about for years and years to come in terms of engrossing ideas and innovative ideas about space and time.

A pair of hoodlums make chase away from a police officer into a stairwell. A family sets out on a road trip along a desert highway. Two scenarios that aren’t all together original, but once in motion, these two parallel stories start moving on a rapid pace quickly and dangerously. Soon all parties involved realize that they are caught in a loop of both space and time in an infinite flight of stairs and a never-ending stretch of road.

EL INCIDENTE follows the confusion, shock, and disbelief of these people when they realize the path they are on has been travelled over and over. The film illustrates this mixed bag of emotions subtly and clearly. Given the age and status differences in the cast, it’s fascinating to see how the each cast member reacts to being stuck in a non-stop loop. Some crack. Some die. Some persevere. And some grow. This story illustrates all of that with so much finesse that not one moment is wasted. And while the realization of being stuck in such a bleak and hopeless predicament is where any normal TWILIGHT ZONE or even in a substandard sci fi movie would leave off, this film is just getting started. Just wait until we fast forward 35 years and check back in on our stranded parties in the hamster wheel. It’s absolutely astounding where this story goes.

The resolution of EL INCIDENTE is bound to leave a few people scratching their heads and if I were only half watching this film, I probably wouldn’t have gotten it myself. But this movie is too engrossing to half-watch and if you’re paying attention, even though it is a bit broad and meta, I think you’re going to enjoy how this film wraps up as much as I did.

EL INCIDENTE is the type of sci fi that would make Bradbury, Serling, and Wells stand up and cheer. It’s a sophisticated take on the redundancy of life as well as a lesson in physics, psychology, and the human condition. Horrifying at times—mesmerizing all the way through, I was in awe of how clearly writer/director Isaac Ezban makes these complex and abstract concepts easy to follow without dumbing things down one bit. EL INCIDENTE is an intelligent and terrifying trip into a new kind of TWILIGHT ZONE. It’s a film once seen you’ll want to tell others about and one you definitely will not forget. Blending sci fi, philosophy, psychology, and horror gently, expertly, and skillfully, EL INCIDENTE is a masterpiece in modern science fiction and should not be missed.

Click here for the trailer!