KM 31: Kilometer 31 (2006)
While driving through the kilometer 31 of a lonely road, Agata Hameran hits a boy. She leaves her car to help the victim and another car runs over her and she falls in a deep coma. Her twin sister Catalina telepathically feels the pain of Agata and hears her whispering for help. Together with her boyfriend Nuno and Agata's mate Omar, they return to the km 31 of the road, and find out that the place is surrounded by supernatural accidents caused by the ghost of a mother that lost her boy many years ago. Further, Catalina discloses that the spirit of Agata is trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead.
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I love this movie so much
the audience applauded
As Good As It Gets
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
KM31 is a very good horror-movie, because the actors acts very well and that the movie is good.I have not seen so much Spanish horror-movies, almost American horror-movies. KM31 is a very special horror-movie and is a classic of todays horror-movies.The costumes is very well-done and the directing by Rigoberto Castanéda is very well. Rigoberto can make so the actors acts very well behind the camera.I can recommended KM31 for people which like horror-movies with much exciting!
It's nice to see one of the most memorable Mexican horror legends of all times coming back to life in such a reasonably enjoyable and well done little film. I suppose 'Kilómetro 31' cannot be compared by any means to some of the finest old Mexican horror films that deal with the same background story, like Rene Cardona's 'La llorona', for example. Regardless, this modern version of the crying woman certainly went beyond my expectations, since I was expecting some kind of mediocre Hollywoood-wannabe film that would probably go to far with the use of CGI. The reviews and comments in general about 'Kilómetro 31' are rather harsh and critical, which is surprising, considering how nationalistic Mexican people tend to be when it comes to standing up for their things. 'Kilómetro 31' clearly got a lot of attention when it was released in its country, but not all the attention was precisely positive. I'm not going to lie, if I have to be honest, I'd take the old Mexican horror films instead of this one, any day. However, I found this movie entertaining and dark enough to deserve approval. While it is clear that the budget was generous enough to develop a commercial film addressed to teenagers mostly, that doesn't necessarily steals Mr. Rigoberto Castañeda's merits when it comes to making a horror film.In 'Kilómetro 31' a young woman named Catalina finds herself struggling to help her twin sister Agata who fell into a coma after a mysterious car accident. These two sisters share some kind of special bond, a strange ability to communicate with each other without even saying a word and being miles away. When Catalina realizes that Agata is suffering some kind of torment even though she is almost dead to the world, she has to find a way to save her from the darkness, until she finally wakes up. However, playing the detective turns into a rather dangerous game for Catalina when she realizes that her own life is in danger too and that the legend of 'the crying woman' is not gibberish after all.Leaving aside the fact that the last minutes offer a little bit more than I bargained for 'Kilómetro 31' is a pretty good choice for anyone who is in the mood to party with an old Latin American horror icon, which is La Llorona in this case. This time, she's back in the road (literally) and with some brand new tricks to chase her victims. The story was obviously changed to a certain extent, but the essence is still the same and let's be grateful that they decided to be respectful to the well known story. 'Kilómetro 31' succeeds more than anything when it comes to developing the right atmosphere and dark scenarios. It looked quite artsy to me and even though the last minutes offered a few sequences loaded with CGI, this film is rather simple for the most part and it doesn't try to emulate those ridiculous super-productions with explosions and digital creatures all over the place. The moderated use of CGI somehow manages to remain almost natural and endurable for old-fashioned horror lovers who pretty much are not into these things.
It is very sad when a movie with so much potential turns out to be very disappointing. I consider my self to be a Horror movie fan, and the thought of getting the opportunity to finally watch a modern Mexican horror movie prompted me to have high expectations, but after watching this movie such high expectations dropped to the ground like a bomb.What makes this film so disappointing is that the writers took one of the most famous ghost legends in Mexican folklore "The legend of la Llorona" and instead of making a story with an original Mexican feel, they made the Hollywood version of a Japanese horror movie, but spoken in Spanish.The acting is bad, the story is pretentious and unoriginal, and some scenes don't even make sense.One good note is that the movie actually has some very scary moments, but another earlier Mexican horror movie is way better... "Hasta el viento tiene miedo" or in English "Even the wind is scared"; however, you wont be able to find this one on DVD yet.
I can try to forgive the mistakes of Km 31, but I know I will not forget. Whoever investigates the Mexican cinema just a little, will realize horror genre is not around for, at least, 15 years. This is not an excuse, but let you understand where we are and where are we trying to go. Yes, it is true, Km 31 failed in many aspects. It failed with a captivating closing or with empathic performances, with a rhythm that he never found, with jumping of images packed in good special effects, but surrounded with incomprehensible sequences. But if we are fair, it also had wise moves. It has sowed a seed of confidence and credibility. He has made us remember that our cinema is perfectible and not only condemnable. It reminded us that bogeys not only exist in Tennesse, voodoo in New Orleans or curses in Japan. It reminded us that also here they watch, they threaten and scare. He reminded to us that here also we have fantasy. I am sure that with the correct support, Km 31 can be the beginning of a new history in the cinema of terror. I hope that this way it should be.