Available on Amazon Prime!

SHIVER (aka ESKALOFRIO, 2008)

Directed by Isidro Ortiz
Written by Hernán Migoya, José Gamo, Isidro Ortiz, & Alejandro Hernández
Starring Junio Valverde, Francesc Orella, Mar Sodupe, Jimmy Barnatán, Blanca Suárez
Find out more about this film here!

This treat from Spain is from the same folks that brought you PAN’S LABYRINTH and THE ORPHANAGE and it shows. There’s also a very heavy LET THE RIGHT ONE IN vibe going on in this chilling story of a photosensitive boy (he is allergic to the sunlight) who moves with his mother to a valley village where the sun never shines. Though there’s a fairy tale aspect to the film, it has enough modern sensibilities to cause genuine scares and well-played creeping dread.

The cast is top notch with Junio Valverde playing the boy Santi. There’s a melancholy about this kid who is cursed with an aversion to the sun, yet still is able to be innocent and playful. Valverde has a bright future and shows a broad range. Francesc Orella also delivers a powerful performance as his concerned mother.

The valley and the village itself have their own personalities in this film. There are some wonderfully filmed shots of the mountainside which blocks out the sun and the dark and deep woods which hide unknown terrors. Director Isidro Ortiz has found the perfect location for a beautifully scary film here.

And in these valleys and thick forests lies a secret. One that involves a little feral creature and a scandal the village long thought buried. Without giving too much away, in many ways this is a smart and modern retelling of the story of a werewolf and a vampire with all of the romance and glitter washed away.

Equal parts fable and modern horror, SHIVER is a nerve-shredding film which taps into our darkest fears of youth and puts a fresh and wicked slant on it. It’s a truly chilling film and a can’t miss for fans of both old school monster fests and as well as more modern, cerebral terrors.

Check out the trailer here!!