‘You shouldn’t have blood on your hands, not here…’
And so, we’re back here again. Chipping away at the coalface of discovery to once again observe that horror, nay fear, is subjective. A film that my wife turned off halfway through because it was ‘boring’, troubled me deep into the evening. The sight of a woman being dragged back and forth by an unseen entity, her face smashing into the bathroom tiles, caused me sleepless nights. Terrified, the latest successful original from horror streaming service Shudder, is terrifying…
A strange panic grips an otherwise unremarkable neighbourhood on the streets of Buenos Aires. In one house, a violent and vengeful poltergeist causes havoc, next door, a hideous naked man emerges at nighttime and stalks his prey. Across the road, a dead child has risen from his grave and sits, charred and burned, lifeless and yet alive, while all around him lose their heads. Sent in to investigate are police officer Funes (Maxi Ghione), and a trio of shady paranormal investigators – Jano (Norberto Gonzalo), Mora Albreck (Elvira Onetto) and Rosenstock (George Lewis).
The cast do a great job in reacting to the ghoulish effects, whether they be practical or CGI, and they do this while having to deal with dialogue that is functional and often expository. Ghione is particularly effective as the beleaguered police presence, but the whole cast does well to convey the utter horror they are witnessing.
Terrified is not offering a great deal we haven’t seen before, although the trio of house possessions is pretty novel, but if you are someone who is wary of the supernatural and easily spooked by ghosts, than Terrified is the film for you. A worthy oddity in a crowded field.