Rating of
2.5/4
When the American Dream Becomes a Nightmare
Chris Kavan - wrote on 10/05/21
A slow burn - perhaps too slow - horror film about the perils of trust and the deterioration of the so-called American dream. While some people may see that as some kind of immigration propaganda piece, even without that angle you can replace the main character with anyone struggling with finances or poverty and the like and still come out with the same conclusions. As it stands, Cristina Rodlo is one of the best parts of the film as an illegal immigrant doing anything she can to fix her situation - but still winds up in a crumbling building, scraping by in a dead-end job. Things go from bad to worse when a co-worker who promises a clean ID leaves her high and dry and people keep going missing from her building. Soon she begins to hear and see things - leading to an ending with a fine reveal that seems straight out of Pan's Labyrinth (design-wise anyway). The movie relies too much on cheap jump scares, but still has good atmosphere. It's not the greatest horror movie of all time but serves up enough chills for a decent spooky night in.
