I have waited what seems like forever to finally see this movie. I read great review after review and sadly didn’t get it view it in theaters. When it finally came out on DVD I did what I normally don’t do, I bought it before seeing it. I almost never do that and I don’t recommend it but Buster’s didn’t have it the two times I went so I just gave into the pressure and bought the darn thing.
I was expecting a supernatural-thriller that would keep me covering my eyes and jumping out of my seat. The kind of movie that makes me embarrassed to watch in theaters because I hide behind my fingers during the really scary parts. I really thought this one would rival some of the Asian horror-flicks that I love so much when it comes to scares but I was not exactly disappointed as much as I was surprised that it was more of a drama than a thriller. I was afraid a few times but most of the “thrills” were a matter of suspense building to a not-so creepy end. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy this movie, because to the contrary I loved it. It just wasn’t what I had expected.
The story is basically about a Mother who after returning to her childhood home which just so happened to be a really creepy Orphanage, looses her son and spends the majority of the movie trying to find him. The bond between the mother and her son is very moving and you really feel for the Mother who is willing to do whatever it takes to find her son. The creepiness is overshadowed by the sadness and helplessness that the Mother feels for the loss of her son. The ghosts in the film which you see on the commercials are not so much scary as they are sad because they are children. There is one particularly moving scene when a paranormal investigator/medium visits the home in search of the son and she encounters the children and they are in such torment that I got chills.
The ending is very emotional and I admit to shedding a few tears. So if you are interested in a tear-jerker with a few spooks and thrills then this one is definitely for you. And if you enjoyed this film try seeing other Del-Toro haunts like The Devils Backbone.
