Calista Flockhart (of 'Ally Mcbeal' fame) stars as Amy Nicholls, an American nurse who transfers to an English children's hospital to help the patients in their upcoming transfer out of the near-abandoned hospital. After connecting with a particularly eccentric young girl, Maggie (Yasmin Murphy), Amy soon discovers there's more to the hospital that meets the eye. After a series of violent & strange accidents occur, Amy fights to learn the secrets that have been hidden from her by the staff.
Jaume Balagueró, now best known for bringing the world the modern-classic horrors 'Rec' and its sequel, started out with a couple of lesser-known horror flicks including the creepy horror/thriller 'The Nameless' and the forgettable Anna Paquin vehicle 'Darkness.' Among these films, Balagueró bagged former TV star Flockhart to star in this haunted-hospital horror. It goes without saying that if one wants a creepy & dangerous location for a haunted-house story, a hospital is a great bet. There have been some fantastic hospital horrors including the much-loved 'Session 9' (2001).
'Frágiles,' like 'Session 9,' had a lot going for it to be a very solid horror flick. It had a talented cast, a very scary location, and a fantastic writer/director. And, for the first 80 or so minutes of the film, I thought we horror fans would have yet another great Spanish horror for the decade. It was spooky, mysterious, and interesting. While it did drag a bit in places, it still had enough suspense to make it worth it. Then, we reached the final act. After enjoying the slow-burning first three-quarters of the film, I was ready for a very creepy conclusion. Unfortunately, the film spiraled into a bit of a mess complete with a horrendously laughable spirit (worse than Elizabeth Bathory in 'Stay Alive' or the Tooth Fairy in 'Darkness falls'), some lame CGI effects, and a fast-paced, disaster-movie feel. While I didn't mind what the film was trying to do with the final act, the execution was much too rushed and far over-the-top. It would have been much better off without it.
Overall, the film is interesting and creepy with enough suspense to make it worth a watch.
Final Verdict: 6/10.
-AP3-
Jaume Balagueró, now best known for bringing the world the modern-classic horrors 'Rec' and its sequel, started out with a couple of lesser-known horror flicks including the creepy horror/thriller 'The Nameless' and the forgettable Anna Paquin vehicle 'Darkness.' Among these films, Balagueró bagged former TV star Flockhart to star in this haunted-hospital horror. It goes without saying that if one wants a creepy & dangerous location for a haunted-house story, a hospital is a great bet. There have been some fantastic hospital horrors including the much-loved 'Session 9' (2001).
'Frágiles,' like 'Session 9,' had a lot going for it to be a very solid horror flick. It had a talented cast, a very scary location, and a fantastic writer/director. And, for the first 80 or so minutes of the film, I thought we horror fans would have yet another great Spanish horror for the decade. It was spooky, mysterious, and interesting. While it did drag a bit in places, it still had enough suspense to make it worth it. Then, we reached the final act. After enjoying the slow-burning first three-quarters of the film, I was ready for a very creepy conclusion. Unfortunately, the film spiraled into a bit of a mess complete with a horrendously laughable spirit (worse than Elizabeth Bathory in 'Stay Alive' or the Tooth Fairy in 'Darkness falls'), some lame CGI effects, and a fast-paced, disaster-movie feel. While I didn't mind what the film was trying to do with the final act, the execution was much too rushed and far over-the-top. It would have been much better off without it.
Overall, the film is interesting and creepy with enough suspense to make it worth a watch.
Final Verdict: 6/10.
-AP3-