The Squad (2011)

Sadly Over-hyped

Admirable film.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Another reviewer here stated some interesting points. I do agree with most of his arguments, but I don't think the movie is as bad as he makes it to be. That doesn't mean I think it's really good, but I do think the director was going for the right thing. Fear and isolation can make people go crazy.Of course the idea is anything but new and there have been quite a few movies with similar themes. While this is well played, there is something missing to help the viewer along the ride. Something that will even the field and make even some of the clichés look good. As it is, it is just decent (maybe you won't even think as much of it, as proved by other reviews). Suspense is high enough and though you can guess most turns and events, it is still enjoyable enough.

Unfortunately The Squad fails to deliver on its interesting premise and promising first ten minutes. Competent camera work and a decent cast is unable to make up for a lack of plot, structure or coherent direction. I can appreciate what the director was attempting to do with lingering close-ups of grim, suffering faces, subtle sound cues and atmospheric lighting, but one can only rely on those techniques so long before delivering some kind of pay-off. For me the film completely failed to rack up any tension or arrive at a destination. I was more concerned with wondering why the characters - supposedly trained soldiers in a war zone - were behaving more like angsty teens who've fallen out with their parents.The message that in a civil war everyone looks like the enemy could have been portrayed far more effectively without tacking on a poorly-realized supernatural element. The film-makers tried to do both and ended up with neither. I hate using the word, but 'boring' really is the only word that comes to mind.

As with the first two reviews, I have to agree that there were no weak acting here. Every single one of them were marvelous. The cinematography and especially the atmosphere were very effective and notable.However, I would not classify this as a horror movie. I'm inclined to say that this is more of a suspense/drama.Admittedly, the director was extremely talented in building up the tension, though it is quite tiring to always have that accumulate inside you without having any form of release as nothing of significance really happens. Granted, that he wasn't going for cheap thrills, which I can respect, but a movie gets anti-climactic fast, even with superb actors and atmosphere, if it's not going anywhere.This would have been great for a short film, but made into a full length movie, it became a bit diluted. Still, I did not regret watching this for the positive points already mentioned above. Those were so good, it salvaged the entire film.

Having waited for this release an eternity, I was desperately clinging onto the slim chance that it may have been a worthwhile wait, especially given that in most cases, the wait is better than the end product.Not in this case however.El Paramo (The Squad) is a highly polished, very well produced, dark thriller from a country who in my experience aren't noted for successful movie exports.It puts many mega budget blockbusters to shame, filmed with such care and attention, that from the first scene until the last, I was hooked.No hammy acting or poor scripting dialogue in this - everything was way above and beyond anything I've seen for a long time, and belies the country of origin and also the relatively smallish budget. All actors delivered their lines with ease, their emotions throughout heightening the tension that the writer and director were aiming for, and the locations used were suitably spooky and dark.It's a difficult movie to classify - some will say horror, others thriller - to me this was more a psychological thriller more than anything else - a lot of unseen tension based on unseen forces.Going down that route is a very difficult skill to master as a writer and a director - keeping the audience glued to the screen whilst not showing anything of horror is a talent that abounds in the movie - to successfully manage to portray a story of the breakdown of a regimented society in a short space of time,whilst running with an underlying hint of the paranormal worked perfectly.It's a shame this won't get the release it deserves, however, I'd really like to see more from the writers and director as they've got a supreme talent that deserves more recognition.Top notch 8/10