If you are smart and patient you will be rewarded with one great movie and a very interest ending!
As I write this, I just finished watching "La Segunda Muerte" "The Second Death", for the second time, back to back. Because some movies deserve or require to be seen twice, to flavor the story, in search for answers, to make a better sense of it, to fit the missing part of the puzzle, well, all of the above. The first time my review wasn't so favorable, I gave it 6 stars, but now I will give it a flawless 10!
"The Second Death" could be called the "Lady - Death Grim Reaper" and still be accurate on its own premise.
The first analogy I can come up in top of my head is that,little by little the events on the story piled up like all the zombies on "World War Z" one in top of another to make sense of climbing of a wall,(even though the two movies have nothing in common). And After three hours and ten minutes, (two viewings),I ended up thinking that every moviegoer...that everyone should watch this well elaborated film.
This unfortunately (so far) ignored Argentinian movie it's a great detective, murder, ghost, twisted story, that deals at the same time with clairvoyance and religion, without spoilers, I'll say that, it provides some answers to questions that you and I may have never asked before,and that is interesting.
Even thought the story at one point takes purposely or not a cue from "The Exorcist", and the 2006 Mexican horror film KM 31,(not in the gruesome way), still manages to be one of those movies that you want to add to your collection, and get together a bunch of friends and argue its merits, just to find out who would dare to hate this movie... on my part I love it!
On the Second viewing , I focus on capturing every word, every attitude and look in the actor's faces, and all of them deserves recognition, as the director and everyone who made this screenplay so compelling,and I would love to write the perfect subtitles, for those who do not speak Spanish because of the "hidden" humor and wit and sarcasm lost in translation.
Let's talk about the actors , first Tomás Lizzio as "Mago" (Magician) is a young actor (I never heard of him before) with a great potential, he plays a 11 year old, that behaves more like an adult, hunted by other's experiences and his own questions about his Mother.
"Mago" and "Alba" (Agustina Lecouna) as the Detective with a somber past and her own demons, carry the movie on their shoulders, but every one of the actors do such a spellbinding experience for the viewer that in my opinion, this movie deserves an international audience.
Not just dares to become suspenseful and intriguing by the minute,but without being ghost- scary,it definitely will scare the thoughts on the viewer for so much evil and guilt, pretty much in every one of the characters.
This film becomes completely unpredictably thanks to a so well written argument, that manages to mislead you,getting your attention to the side stories that will converge to make if not an adrenaline rush - finale, certainly one of the most satisfactory endings, but the "ending" did not mean the final surprise,just after the first credits appear you will have the final shocking scene,so ready or not do not get up from your seat till everything is really over, you do not want to miss it, and after that, you'll be wondering about the possible or impossible relationship of the two main characters
Believe me if you are into flawless suspenseful movies you won't mind that the movie plays mainly in sepia, using color just for the flashbacks.
Hopefully, you are like me, looking for those hidden gems on movie-making, if so, here is one! And I really wouldn't mind to see a PROPER remake for this Argentinian, supernatural story, one that is not messed up as the one made about the Mexican "Somos lo que hay" (2010) "We are what we are" So please if you were involve with the USA not-a-remake, please stay away from this one, because "La Segunda Muerte" deserves a remake worthy of the original version!
As always no spoilers here,and I hope that you enjoy "The Second Death"
