Rented this film with no expectations at all. For the largest part of the film I did not regret one second to have rented it. Well, perhaps because it was too scary... The way it is filmed and the music along with it makes it a very good thriller. This is a perfect example I believe of the difference between an American film and a European film. And in this case I definitely prefer the latter. The grim atmosphere and the constant pressure keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole movie. But unfortunately, all good things come to an end and in Los sin nombre, this is before the end of the film. I can't spoil anything of course, but I personally was very disappointed with the end of this film. It left me with an unsatisfied feeling.
71 Reviews
No ID's in the Netherworld?
nycritic21 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Somehow, because of the success of movies like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and SEVEN, some directors have jumped into the bandwagon and have come up with bad imitations of what psychological horror should be. Then again, maybe we should also blame H. P. Lovecraft for this as well, because a man who had a knack for creating pessimistic tales where unspeakable evils were unleashed in the name of Some Freaky God would eventually garner followers. And why not? People gravitate to what they relate to best. Lovecraft himself imitated Poe on several of his own stories, and Stephen King has reworked many horror classics without batting an eye.
The thing is, not everyone can be as successful, and if you're going to create something our of a Lovecraftian universe (to mention a clichéd expression), it had better be truly horrific or it will be lost in translation. THE NAMELESS tells a story that visually starts out well but soon looses steam and ends up a complete mess. A girl is kidnapped and her body is found in a deep well, horribly burned beyond recognition. Only a physical deformity remains the identifying link -- one leg was four inches shorter. The mother grieves, her marriage soon disintegrates... and then, some time later, she receives a call. It's her daughter. She's alive.
An interesting premise, but from here on the story becomes less and less horrific and more and more a by-the-numbers investigation which somehow never seems to involve the police (because of course, we need to place the heroine and the morally wounded cop back in the land of Fear). The fact that these two characters wind up where they do, and that the story unveils its bland denouement after so much build-up (with talks of "synthesizing" evil into some fantastic entity and a cataclysmic event, which winds up being a lot of mumbo-jumbo) is what makes THE NAMELESS fail: everyone moves according to plot requirement. If you're going to do a story that is supposedly that twisted, it had better drip conscious malice and make people squeamish. ROSEMARY'S BABY did just that in 1968 and nary a drop of blood to be seen. Hell (no pun intended), even THE OMEN, a rather mediocre movie about another Satanic plot, fares better. None of the "nameless" look particularly that dangerous, either -- little more than druggies who get their kicks smelling glue and cutting themselves to ease the pain. Would it that any of them could strike the menace that Mrs Baylock or those dotty Castevets did. Maybe Ramsey Campbell will like it. Assuming he understands Spanish.
The thing is, not everyone can be as successful, and if you're going to create something our of a Lovecraftian universe (to mention a clichéd expression), it had better be truly horrific or it will be lost in translation. THE NAMELESS tells a story that visually starts out well but soon looses steam and ends up a complete mess. A girl is kidnapped and her body is found in a deep well, horribly burned beyond recognition. Only a physical deformity remains the identifying link -- one leg was four inches shorter. The mother grieves, her marriage soon disintegrates... and then, some time later, she receives a call. It's her daughter. She's alive.
An interesting premise, but from here on the story becomes less and less horrific and more and more a by-the-numbers investigation which somehow never seems to involve the police (because of course, we need to place the heroine and the morally wounded cop back in the land of Fear). The fact that these two characters wind up where they do, and that the story unveils its bland denouement after so much build-up (with talks of "synthesizing" evil into some fantastic entity and a cataclysmic event, which winds up being a lot of mumbo-jumbo) is what makes THE NAMELESS fail: everyone moves according to plot requirement. If you're going to do a story that is supposedly that twisted, it had better drip conscious malice and make people squeamish. ROSEMARY'S BABY did just that in 1968 and nary a drop of blood to be seen. Hell (no pun intended), even THE OMEN, a rather mediocre movie about another Satanic plot, fares better. None of the "nameless" look particularly that dangerous, either -- little more than druggies who get their kicks smelling glue and cutting themselves to ease the pain. Would it that any of them could strike the menace that Mrs Baylock or those dotty Castevets did. Maybe Ramsey Campbell will like it. Assuming he understands Spanish.
Some good ideas, but dull plotting spoils it
The_Void21 October 2007
Well, after reading all the good reviews; some of which coming from reviewers that I often agree with, I was really looking forward to seeing The Nameless. After having sat down and watched it, however, I'm really disappointed. The film is not really 'bad', but it's not very good either and that's a shame considering that the film clearly so much wanted to be a great thriller. The plot is not very original, though that isn't the film's main problem. Many recycled plots have sprung great movies; the main problem here is that the plot moves too slowly and it's never interesting enough to remain thrilling for the duration. The film does have a few nice ideas, though. The Nameless starts with an editor named Claudia, who goes to identify the mutilated body of her dead daughter. The body has had every trace of its identity removed and can only be identified by a bracelet and the fact that one leg was slightly shorter than the other. Five years later, however, Claudia receives a call...from her daughter, who is begging her mother to save her.
Director Jaume Balagueró, who later went on to make the even more disappointing horror thriller 'Darkness' does manage to create a nice atmosphere for the film. Everything looks slightly grey, which makes it depressing and in turn serves the film well. I would guess that the film's main influence was David Fincher's hit 'Seven' as the two are very similar in tone. The film was made in Spain, and that is also disappointing. Spain, along with Italy, made some of the very best thrillers in the seventies, but the recent output of this genre from both countries has been disappointing - the Italian 'Occhi Di Cristallo' is another example of this. The recent films have lost what made them great previously, presumably because they're attempting to copy recent American films. The plot sort of drones on for the first eighty minutes as the dull characters uncover various facts and clues, and finally the film becomes interesting in the last ten minutes - though by this time, of course, it's already too late. The film was based on a good idea and it does have a few nice moments; but overall I would have to rate this as not much more than an interesting failure.
Director Jaume Balagueró, who later went on to make the even more disappointing horror thriller 'Darkness' does manage to create a nice atmosphere for the film. Everything looks slightly grey, which makes it depressing and in turn serves the film well. I would guess that the film's main influence was David Fincher's hit 'Seven' as the two are very similar in tone. The film was made in Spain, and that is also disappointing. Spain, along with Italy, made some of the very best thrillers in the seventies, but the recent output of this genre from both countries has been disappointing - the Italian 'Occhi Di Cristallo' is another example of this. The recent films have lost what made them great previously, presumably because they're attempting to copy recent American films. The plot sort of drones on for the first eighty minutes as the dull characters uncover various facts and clues, and finally the film becomes interesting in the last ten minutes - though by this time, of course, it's already too late. The film was based on a good idea and it does have a few nice moments; but overall I would have to rate this as not much more than an interesting failure.
"The Pointless", more like.
drrotwang26 October 2002
You're walking through an amusement park. All the rides around you look wonderfully scary and thrilling; they taunt you as you pass them, they promise something different, something new, at journey's end.
The final ride is a fiberglass pony in front of the supermarket.
That's the "Los Sin Nombre" experience. You, the viewer, watch as the protagonist follows clues to find her daughter -- a girl supposedly tortured and killed but now, 5 years later, apparently living. With the help of the detective who handled the original case, she stumbles from clue to clue and into...uh...well, it gets hazy. A cult dedicated to "synthesizing the ultimate evil" through "the final atrocity" and "mastering pain", because "evil is a key". A good idea crops up hither and yon, and gets you waiting, waiting for The Big Finish.
After some disturbing imagery, a whole lot of "Oh, yeah?" clues, some confusion as to why this guy named Toni is following Mom around, the overuse of the "choppily-edited-video-is-creepy!" effect and the introduction of a character whom we're asked to care about and then gets whacked, the final reveal arrives...and then...uh...the movie ends.
But the final reveal is so totally mundane in relation to the rest of the film as to feel as let-down, a waste of energy spent in caring how it will end.
This film is all style -- all tired, overdone style. Oooh, look, everything's bleak and cold-looking! Oooh, look, choppily-edited nightmare imagery! Oooh, look, clues on a videotape! Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yeah, I know, I said the same thing.
"The Nameless". It's in Spanish. There's some icky stuff and some fodder for your "Call of Cthulhu" game. Your call.
Bring some coins for that pony.
The final ride is a fiberglass pony in front of the supermarket.
That's the "Los Sin Nombre" experience. You, the viewer, watch as the protagonist follows clues to find her daughter -- a girl supposedly tortured and killed but now, 5 years later, apparently living. With the help of the detective who handled the original case, she stumbles from clue to clue and into...uh...well, it gets hazy. A cult dedicated to "synthesizing the ultimate evil" through "the final atrocity" and "mastering pain", because "evil is a key". A good idea crops up hither and yon, and gets you waiting, waiting for The Big Finish.
After some disturbing imagery, a whole lot of "Oh, yeah?" clues, some confusion as to why this guy named Toni is following Mom around, the overuse of the "choppily-edited-video-is-creepy!" effect and the introduction of a character whom we're asked to care about and then gets whacked, the final reveal arrives...and then...uh...the movie ends.
But the final reveal is so totally mundane in relation to the rest of the film as to feel as let-down, a waste of energy spent in caring how it will end.
This film is all style -- all tired, overdone style. Oooh, look, everything's bleak and cold-looking! Oooh, look, choppily-edited nightmare imagery! Oooh, look, clues on a videotape! Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yeah, I know, I said the same thing.
"The Nameless". It's in Spanish. There's some icky stuff and some fodder for your "Call of Cthulhu" game. Your call.
Bring some coins for that pony.
Stylish horror thriller reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby
vegas19 January 2002
Los Sin Nombre is a truly terrific Spanish horror thriller capable of scaring the viewer unlike the dozen of American late-90s horror boom flicks that have flooded box offices for way too long. Spanish director Jaume Balaguero uses old fashioned lightning tricks as well as modern editing to a good extent. Colors and mood are borrowed from David Fincher and the plot from Roman Polanski's masterpiece - Rosemary's Baby. Taking bits from here and there, Balaguero combines the elements to create a fine piece of cinema, definitely worthy of all it's Hollywood counterparts and more. Now, let's just hope that Balaguero gets invited to do his first Hollywood flick like his colleague Alejandro Amenabar (Tesis, The Others) as there's never enough fresh ideas in the boring US horror industry.
Creepy and eerie Spanish Horror/thriller with good performances and magnificent filmmaking
ma-cortes27 August 2012
Good and unsettling Catalan terror/thriller by expert filmmaker Jaume Balaguero and based on the British novel "The Nameless" by Ramsey Campbell . More spine-tingling from the director of ¨Darkness¨ , a convincing sense of impeding dread and essential to any effective Horror-Thriller . Some years after a little girl was killed when her mummy named Claudia (Emma Villarasau) , addicted to tranquilizers , seemed to have started to recover , but a phone call once again shatters her existence : "Mummy, it's me... come and get me". Helped by an ex-cop named Massera(Karra Elejalde) and a parapsychology journalist named Quiroga (Tristan Ulloa) who is expert in the supernatural, she sets out on a desperate search for encounter her daughter . Other mysterious clues appear , indicating that the daughter is indeed still alive , and very much in risk . Later on , they discover incredible deeds : a sect of the occult with conceal things and dark secrets which rejects its own name , called ¨Nameless¨ and wishes the essence of pure evil.
The official English title is The Nameless -but the correct translation is "Los Sin Nombre", which to me is far more creepy- lives up to Jaume Balaguero's reputation . This suspenseful and frightening movie was produced by the successful Catalan producers Julio and Carlos Fernandez from Fantastic factory ; it displays relentless horror , thrills , intrigue , shocks , hard-edged drama , plot twists , creepy images and some gore when crime takes place . Director Jaume Balagueró (Rec, Rec 2, Fragiles , Darkness and the recent "while you sleep" or Mientras Duermes) uses that uneasy non-knowledge for both horror and occultism , introducing brief psychological observations . Interesting writing credits by the same director/writer Balaguero based on a story by Ramsey Campbell . ¨Nameless¨ is a motion picture that balances precariously over the terror and occultism . The overall result is chilling proof that Balagueró can take a little budget while delivering a completely different scare . Extraordinary performance by Emma Villarasau , she plays a real tour-de-force in one of his best acting of his career as a solitary and unhappy mother , unsettling for past records and disturbing future . Furthermore , excellent Karra Elejalde as a run-down ex-'policeman . The picture packs a thrilling and intriguing musical score by Carles Cases . Furthermore , a cold and appropriate cinematography by Xavi Gimenez , Balaguero's usual .
'The Nameless' demonstrates director Balagueró's versatility , resulting to be a sublime thriller that every genre buff should be excited for . Rating : Good , better than average . The movie will appeal to thriller and terror fans . Worthwhile watching .
The official English title is The Nameless -but the correct translation is "Los Sin Nombre", which to me is far more creepy- lives up to Jaume Balaguero's reputation . This suspenseful and frightening movie was produced by the successful Catalan producers Julio and Carlos Fernandez from Fantastic factory ; it displays relentless horror , thrills , intrigue , shocks , hard-edged drama , plot twists , creepy images and some gore when crime takes place . Director Jaume Balagueró (Rec, Rec 2, Fragiles , Darkness and the recent "while you sleep" or Mientras Duermes) uses that uneasy non-knowledge for both horror and occultism , introducing brief psychological observations . Interesting writing credits by the same director/writer Balaguero based on a story by Ramsey Campbell . ¨Nameless¨ is a motion picture that balances precariously over the terror and occultism . The overall result is chilling proof that Balagueró can take a little budget while delivering a completely different scare . Extraordinary performance by Emma Villarasau , she plays a real tour-de-force in one of his best acting of his career as a solitary and unhappy mother , unsettling for past records and disturbing future . Furthermore , excellent Karra Elejalde as a run-down ex-'policeman . The picture packs a thrilling and intriguing musical score by Carles Cases . Furthermore , a cold and appropriate cinematography by Xavi Gimenez , Balaguero's usual .
'The Nameless' demonstrates director Balagueró's versatility , resulting to be a sublime thriller that every genre buff should be excited for . Rating : Good , better than average . The movie will appeal to thriller and terror fans . Worthwhile watching .
Drab
hellholehorror15 June 2023
Very drab but that was the style. It was a gritty detective movie. Camera moves were simple but effective. Grading was cinematic but dull. The visual 'child' effects were a touch tacky. It's a detective story from Spain. It is what it is and not a lot more. It has shades of noir but also shades of 90s TV-movie. I feel bad judging having only watched thirty-ish minutes but it wasn't that great. Problem was that it was not that engaging, entertaining or atmospheric and I don't want to waste my life watching the rest. It's rare that I turn a movie off before the end which is a testament to how bad this one starts.
Intriguing Film Slightly Brought Down By A Pretentious Conclusion.
drownsoda9010 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"The Nameless" is a Spanish chiller from the director of 2002's "Darkness" (but this film was released a few years before and is in Spanish). The film is about a mother named Claudia, who is still suffering from the horrible memories of her daughter's brutal murder. Five years ago, the savagely mutilated body of her daughter, Angela, was found in a water hole - punctured with needles, tortured, and burned beyond recognition. Then one day, Claudia receives a bizarre phone call from someone who claims to be Angela, saying that she's been alive this entire time and that somebody is holding her against her will. With a detective to try and help her, Claudia searches for her possibly-living daughter before something horrible happens to her - but ends up involved in occult practices and unearths the history of a cult that originated from the Nazis forty years ago.
I first watched this movie on DVD in the English dubbed version, and it was awful. The dubbing wasn't convincing by any means and it made the actors appear to give beyond terrible performances. So, I re-watched the film in it's original language (Spanish) with subtitles, and the acting was much better that way - the performer's tones in their natural language fit much better and made more sense. Trust me, if you're going to watch this movie, please watch it in it's original language, subtitles aren't that bad. So, with that cleared up, I'll discuss the good and bad things about this film. For one, it's slow. Quite slow, actually. So people who are all about fast-paced, bloody slasher films will more than likely despise this film - because it's not really exciting. But while it may not be 'exciting', this slow pacing builds a sense of unease and dread along the way, and that is a major positive for the film. It's atmosphere is beyond gloomy, and the slow pacing makes things even more unsettling and more eerie. The story (based on a British novel by Ramsey Campbell) reminded me of a cross between "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Wicker Man", but that's just how I see it, I'm sure that can be arguable from person to person. But all in all, I thought the story was really interesting and well woven, especially when the information about the cult begins to surface. The interlacing of the Nazi involvement was intriguing also. You have to let yourself become involved in the plot, and from that standpoint this is a really interesting movie.
Now, the negative aspects. While this film is technically a horror movie, it fails to give very many scares. There are a few weird shots of the little girl that are randomly scattered throughout the film, but they fail to jolt or get any effect out of me. They're a little spooky, but weren't really needed. But, this film is scary on a different level, because of how subtle and atmospheric it is - most horror fans won't be scared by it though. And then there's the ending. I don't want to spoil it so I'm not going to give everything away - but it was a little bit predictable during the last twenty minutes or so. And then there's the final moment of the film, which ends far too quickly and was just much too abrupt. Everything is just beginning to come together after the considerably lengthy build-up, and then bam! It's over. The credits roll. All that build-up and all that tension that results in something that ends way too fast. Some falling action to conclude the story would've been nice. But I can't hate the movie just for that, because besides that there are so many really good things about it.
Overall, "The Nameless" or "Sin nombre, Los" is an interesting movie. I love the story and the film escalates an impending sense of doom and is very unsettling. But there are some problems that keep it from being perfect. If you enjoy significantly slow-building horror films, you'll like this. But in my opinion, the ending could've used a little work, because it left me feeling kind of empty. Besides that though, everything that lead up to it was very stylish and very spooky. I understand it that many people can't stand this director (Jaume Balaguero), but from his two films I've seen (this film and "Darkness"), I like him. His movies are unusual, but that doesn't make them bad. 7/10.
I first watched this movie on DVD in the English dubbed version, and it was awful. The dubbing wasn't convincing by any means and it made the actors appear to give beyond terrible performances. So, I re-watched the film in it's original language (Spanish) with subtitles, and the acting was much better that way - the performer's tones in their natural language fit much better and made more sense. Trust me, if you're going to watch this movie, please watch it in it's original language, subtitles aren't that bad. So, with that cleared up, I'll discuss the good and bad things about this film. For one, it's slow. Quite slow, actually. So people who are all about fast-paced, bloody slasher films will more than likely despise this film - because it's not really exciting. But while it may not be 'exciting', this slow pacing builds a sense of unease and dread along the way, and that is a major positive for the film. It's atmosphere is beyond gloomy, and the slow pacing makes things even more unsettling and more eerie. The story (based on a British novel by Ramsey Campbell) reminded me of a cross between "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Wicker Man", but that's just how I see it, I'm sure that can be arguable from person to person. But all in all, I thought the story was really interesting and well woven, especially when the information about the cult begins to surface. The interlacing of the Nazi involvement was intriguing also. You have to let yourself become involved in the plot, and from that standpoint this is a really interesting movie.
Now, the negative aspects. While this film is technically a horror movie, it fails to give very many scares. There are a few weird shots of the little girl that are randomly scattered throughout the film, but they fail to jolt or get any effect out of me. They're a little spooky, but weren't really needed. But, this film is scary on a different level, because of how subtle and atmospheric it is - most horror fans won't be scared by it though. And then there's the ending. I don't want to spoil it so I'm not going to give everything away - but it was a little bit predictable during the last twenty minutes or so. And then there's the final moment of the film, which ends far too quickly and was just much too abrupt. Everything is just beginning to come together after the considerably lengthy build-up, and then bam! It's over. The credits roll. All that build-up and all that tension that results in something that ends way too fast. Some falling action to conclude the story would've been nice. But I can't hate the movie just for that, because besides that there are so many really good things about it.
Overall, "The Nameless" or "Sin nombre, Los" is an interesting movie. I love the story and the film escalates an impending sense of doom and is very unsettling. But there are some problems that keep it from being perfect. If you enjoy significantly slow-building horror films, you'll like this. But in my opinion, the ending could've used a little work, because it left me feeling kind of empty. Besides that though, everything that lead up to it was very stylish and very spooky. I understand it that many people can't stand this director (Jaume Balaguero), but from his two films I've seen (this film and "Darkness"), I like him. His movies are unusual, but that doesn't make them bad. 7/10.
The Pointless
arturmachado-2958825 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Jaume Balagueró's first feature film.
A mother receives a call from her daughter who was allegedly murdered five years earlier. A former police officer and a journalist help in the investigation that reveals a sect called The Nameless that may be behind the events.
The premise seems good and the film plays out more like a criminal investigation (which I also like) than a horror film. But it's too slow with questionable points in the narrative (why do they never involve the official authorities even when their lives are in danger?) and an abrupt ending that doesn't explain anything. What purpose is there for the cult in tormenting Angela or forcing her to matricide? If the intent was to create a vessel for evil it would never work, it would just create a vessel of resentment against her captors! Stupid cult totally illogical. What's the point?
A mother receives a call from her daughter who was allegedly murdered five years earlier. A former police officer and a journalist help in the investigation that reveals a sect called The Nameless that may be behind the events.
The premise seems good and the film plays out more like a criminal investigation (which I also like) than a horror film. But it's too slow with questionable points in the narrative (why do they never involve the official authorities even when their lives are in danger?) and an abrupt ending that doesn't explain anything. What purpose is there for the cult in tormenting Angela or forcing her to matricide? If the intent was to create a vessel for evil it would never work, it would just create a vessel of resentment against her captors! Stupid cult totally illogical. What's the point?
Could have been and should have been
Svengali-200110 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I thoroughly enjoyed much of this movie, but it is the careless of the directing that left me feeling short-changed. The characters are good and atmosphere excellent, however the director was very poor when he did his story boards and the reporter should have been introduced earlier in the film instead of appearing out of nowhere as a major player. Even if it had been a couple of very short scenes he participated in, it would have added to the flow and texture of the film.
The director fails to paint his picture fully at times and substitutes convolution for story telling. And the denouement while effective is slightly illogical and ill-conceived. The final five minutes are inconsistent and lack cohesion, making the final scene lose any power. The director has created distrust with the viewer, and I for one went away feeling slightly robbed. A great build up let down by a lazy and ill-conceived climax.
I give it good marks for the first three quarters of the film and for the great camera-work and moodiness. The film should have been slightly longer and much more better handled. If there is different version or director's cut of this film then I would like to see what it could have been!!!!
The director fails to paint his picture fully at times and substitutes convolution for story telling. And the denouement while effective is slightly illogical and ill-conceived. The final five minutes are inconsistent and lack cohesion, making the final scene lose any power. The director has created distrust with the viewer, and I for one went away feeling slightly robbed. A great build up let down by a lazy and ill-conceived climax.
I give it good marks for the first three quarters of the film and for the great camera-work and moodiness. The film should have been slightly longer and much more better handled. If there is different version or director's cut of this film then I would like to see what it could have been!!!!
What?? Did I miss something??
azsara21 June 2014
My best friend and I chose this movie to accompany our popcorn and wine for Girls Night! We turned down the lights, poured ourselves a glass and got underneath our blankets for what was sure to be a fright fest!
Okay so the first hour or so went by slowly. Scratch that it went by REALLY freaking slowly.
All of a sudden there is movement beneath the blankets....a tentative head emerges. " Umm do you think something is going to happen soon?" She asks me.
"Sure" I said. "It didn't do too badly on IMDb right?! What was it? 6/10? Something has got to happen soon. Just watch it".
I'm not going to lie...there were points in the remaining hour of the movie where I seriously considered walking over to the corner of my kitchen and banging my head silently against the cold brick wall. Just for some kind of mental stimulation.
Alas, we perservered and reached a point where there is a reveal of sorts between two characters. Lyndsey and I sat bolt upright and she reached over...clutching my hand.
She looked at me. Eyes shining brightly with hope and anticipation. "This is it, she breathed...something is finally happening...."
We turn back to the TV , clutching each other, barely daring to breath.
Surely these last 2 hours of slow, monotonous, Nameless nonsense will be worth it....
Surely the respected, intelligent members of IMDb wouldn't give an average but respectable score of 6 to a Spanish piece of diaper rash?
The credits roll and we sit back. Looking blankly at each other through the sudden stillness.
What a pile of garbage that was!
4/10
Okay so the first hour or so went by slowly. Scratch that it went by REALLY freaking slowly.
All of a sudden there is movement beneath the blankets....a tentative head emerges. " Umm do you think something is going to happen soon?" She asks me.
"Sure" I said. "It didn't do too badly on IMDb right?! What was it? 6/10? Something has got to happen soon. Just watch it".
I'm not going to lie...there were points in the remaining hour of the movie where I seriously considered walking over to the corner of my kitchen and banging my head silently against the cold brick wall. Just for some kind of mental stimulation.
Alas, we perservered and reached a point where there is a reveal of sorts between two characters. Lyndsey and I sat bolt upright and she reached over...clutching my hand.
She looked at me. Eyes shining brightly with hope and anticipation. "This is it, she breathed...something is finally happening...."
We turn back to the TV , clutching each other, barely daring to breath.
Surely these last 2 hours of slow, monotonous, Nameless nonsense will be worth it....
Surely the respected, intelligent members of IMDb wouldn't give an average but respectable score of 6 to a Spanish piece of diaper rash?
The credits roll and we sit back. Looking blankly at each other through the sudden stillness.
What a pile of garbage that was!
4/10
Let yourself go, and it will scare you off!
Sigmund28 November 2003
One who did not see the movie may be surprise by all the contrasting comments ranging from "LAME" to "EXCELLENT". But there is a simple answer to this: There are 2 types o movie-goers: those who let themselves go and get involved in the story, and those who stay in a safe shell of rationality and judge from the outside. So, this movie lives on atmosphere and the mood it is able to arouse, and in this it works greatly, it really scares. But to a cold-minded analisys, it reveals flaws in the plot. Anyway, I think that RATIONAL-AT-ALL-COSTS people should simply give up with horror movies: their inner cords just can't be reached... For all the other ones, you should watch this movie, becasue it is a scary movie that really scares, and features excellent acting and direction. The only right criticism regards the ending. I suppose that they could have done better, not necessarily changing WHAT happens, but possibly HOW it is described. But it is still a decent final, and the movie is a well worth experience.
Odd Mystery.
rmax30482315 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't able to see the last half hour so am unable to comment on the whole of this Spanish production. Six years ago, the young daughter of Emma Vilarasau disappeared, leading to the break up of her marriage. A skeleton resembling the daughter's turns up. Then, out of nowhere, a phone call from the girl begging her for help and directing her to a spot that will prove she knows something. The spot turns up a shoe.
With no one else to turn to, Vilarasau corners the cop who originally handled the case, Karra Elejalde. Together they try to unravel the mystery of the child's death -- or at least her disappearance. As in so many procedurals, the pursuit takes them into the history of sadism, the occult, the concentration camps, the Nazis, the insane, the disfigured, the decomposing, and the horrors of twelve-tone music.
It's difficult to assess the thing. The photography and musical score are okay. The acting is quite good -- both Vilarasau and Elejalde are middle aged and far from Hollywood's idea of what's handsome. They look like ordinary people who might be pushing carts through a supermarket towards the packaged macaroni and cheese.
At one point, Elejalde wakes from a nightmare and does NOT thrust his terrified face into the camera. One more cliché avoided. Good for them. They need a respite from those stereotypical scenes -- the cop turning over his shield, the newspaper reporter fired for following his own story, the pinned hand groping for the weapon.
But the editor may have been on some sort of psychedelic because those nightmares are doozies, full of nanosecond images and noises like ripping paper and fuse boxes blowing up. It's really a tiresome nuisance.
The plot begins with promise, although the "call from the supposedly dead" is a hoary device. Still, it could lead anywhere, maybe somewhere different. But it doesn't. It leads us through "The Omen," "The Silence of the Lambs" because there's an insane prisoner who speaks to the mother in riddles, a couple of "Twilight Zone" episodes, and from any generic horror movie.
So far, that is. It's possible that the ending pulls it all together and suddenly all the familiar conceits are revealed as relevant.
With no one else to turn to, Vilarasau corners the cop who originally handled the case, Karra Elejalde. Together they try to unravel the mystery of the child's death -- or at least her disappearance. As in so many procedurals, the pursuit takes them into the history of sadism, the occult, the concentration camps, the Nazis, the insane, the disfigured, the decomposing, and the horrors of twelve-tone music.
It's difficult to assess the thing. The photography and musical score are okay. The acting is quite good -- both Vilarasau and Elejalde are middle aged and far from Hollywood's idea of what's handsome. They look like ordinary people who might be pushing carts through a supermarket towards the packaged macaroni and cheese.
At one point, Elejalde wakes from a nightmare and does NOT thrust his terrified face into the camera. One more cliché avoided. Good for them. They need a respite from those stereotypical scenes -- the cop turning over his shield, the newspaper reporter fired for following his own story, the pinned hand groping for the weapon.
But the editor may have been on some sort of psychedelic because those nightmares are doozies, full of nanosecond images and noises like ripping paper and fuse boxes blowing up. It's really a tiresome nuisance.
The plot begins with promise, although the "call from the supposedly dead" is a hoary device. Still, it could lead anywhere, maybe somewhere different. But it doesn't. It leads us through "The Omen," "The Silence of the Lambs" because there's an insane prisoner who speaks to the mother in riddles, a couple of "Twilight Zone" episodes, and from any generic horror movie.
So far, that is. It's possible that the ending pulls it all together and suddenly all the familiar conceits are revealed as relevant.
No
gianmarcoronconi20 December 2022
Film of an absurd pretentiousness that tries to bring an intricate and original plot but ends up bringing a very messy stuff and yes original but original because this absurd confusion has no precedent. Useless and stupid film that has no head or tail, you can also look at it very carefully but in any case you don't understand anything because the plot is very badly structured and does not follow any logical thread. In conclusion the film is ridiculously complicated, but complicated in a wrong way, forcibly complicated, so forcibly complicated that it's almost annoying, you can't say anything else apart from the fact that at the end of the film you feel like you've just wasted your time.
The Nameless? I was THE SPEECHLESS!
wanyon25 October 2003
I saw this film a few years back and have been a supporter of Balaguero ever since! It starts on a very disturbing note and then constantly pushes and pushes your buttons. I can only compare it to being on a torture rack and in pain from the start only to have the cogs turned constantly and very slowly increasing my agony for every minute of my time spent on it until i reach my limit only to realise that the end is SO much nastier now that they have stopped turning the cogs that a totally unforseen pain and agony is about to hit me just when i thought it was over! The tension levels are very slowly but expertly cranked up throughout this film from the opening moments until the very end...and even THEN the cruelest of climaxes awaits us. I have read comments about the ending to this film that do not do it justice or feel that it does not work. I cannot understand or share that viewpoint. Any such accusations levelled at this film are lacking. The climax is simple, yet one of the most intelligent, psychologically perverse, emotion-shredding and horrible (without resorting to blood) ever commited to celluloid. On it's own it would pack a seriously intense punch...but as the climax/pay-off/culmination of such a profoundly creepy film it is downright cruel and disturbing and a fitting finale to a soul-destroying film... Balaguero's style has been disregarded by some as too similar to that of David Fincher. Well, the similarities in LOOK are there but style isn't based on cinematography alone. The film is a beautifully dark, stylish, polished affair with menace in the shadows, angst around every corner and terror on the horizon. Dread and evil have not been portrayed this vividly for a long, long time...
My Review Of "The Nameless"
ASouthernHorrorFan16 April 2013
"The Nameless" is a Spanish film that blends elements of psychological horror with Italian polizieschi (Italo-crime) while keeping with a traditional, modernistic iconoclasm of sorts. The film focuses on a fringe cult networked throughout the hidden realms of polite society, lurking in the shadows in order to manipulate and nurture the darker elements of fate by heralding in a sort of abysmal chaos that feeds on the sorrows of humanity. This film is directed by Jaume Balagueró and follows Claudia, a mother whom after the death of her daughter, tries desperately to put the pieces of her life back together. On the anniversary of the tragic abduction, and inevitable demise of the daughter, the mother struggles to hold things together as new sinister evidence comes to light that suggest a less fatal fate for the child. Events are brought to light that create an even darker nightmare for Claudia to endure in order gain the answers, and daughter that she desperately seeks.
"The Nameless" begins with a very haunting, somber atmospheric surrealism that creates a hollow since of desperation, which carries strongly throughout the whole film. There is coldness and loss emanating in this film that pulls at the viewer emotionally. Unfortunately it is also meet with almost dull, humdrum-ness as the somber becomes numbness, which pulses into an almost boredom for the viewer as we long for some more thrilling material to give rise, and shed a darkened excitement to the movie. So basically for the first third of this film you are required to have patients because this is a story that marinates before it climaxes. And this movie does have some minor climaxes that begin in the middle of the film. It is an intense plot that opens up a whole new realm of social perversion and lack of awareness of the people we share our social spaces with.
Much like Italian giallos tend to do, "The Nameless" builds with a mournful nature, almost mesmerizing the as the mother's story unfolds. The twisted enlightenment that she gains, in searching for her daughter, opens up a whole new sense of heartfelt dread when the true circumstances of her daughter's situation come to light. Soon we are given gory, and thrilling elements that make the long wait worthwhile. The suspense is a steady, low pulse almost until the end of the film, with only those minor climaxes that fluctuate within the story. The gruesome actions displayed during this psychological ebb 'n' flow are gory and rewarding. The subtext, and the subject matter both create an unnerving quality, that makes the anticipation of what will come next truly exciting. Plus the blunt, quick finality of it all is super climactic.
"The Nameless" is not for all, however. If you are a fan of slow-moving, emotional melodramas that play with elements of horror, giallo, and thriller, with a steady heartbeat, then this film is worth checking out. There is a lot of character driven drama with minimal scenes of actual gory horror in this movie so be warned, if your are seeking the over- the-top giallo, filled with all things gruesome. This film is more of a rated –R story, more typical to TV movies than theatrical release, save the fact that it puts the subject matter, and intent in your face with bluntness. Also the scenes of death and fatal ending that some of the cast meet would never make it on television.-well not American television and never with such point blank actuality. I enjoyed this movie but it took the entire length of the film to appreciate the depth and character that this movie holds.
"The Nameless" begins with a very haunting, somber atmospheric surrealism that creates a hollow since of desperation, which carries strongly throughout the whole film. There is coldness and loss emanating in this film that pulls at the viewer emotionally. Unfortunately it is also meet with almost dull, humdrum-ness as the somber becomes numbness, which pulses into an almost boredom for the viewer as we long for some more thrilling material to give rise, and shed a darkened excitement to the movie. So basically for the first third of this film you are required to have patients because this is a story that marinates before it climaxes. And this movie does have some minor climaxes that begin in the middle of the film. It is an intense plot that opens up a whole new realm of social perversion and lack of awareness of the people we share our social spaces with.
Much like Italian giallos tend to do, "The Nameless" builds with a mournful nature, almost mesmerizing the as the mother's story unfolds. The twisted enlightenment that she gains, in searching for her daughter, opens up a whole new sense of heartfelt dread when the true circumstances of her daughter's situation come to light. Soon we are given gory, and thrilling elements that make the long wait worthwhile. The suspense is a steady, low pulse almost until the end of the film, with only those minor climaxes that fluctuate within the story. The gruesome actions displayed during this psychological ebb 'n' flow are gory and rewarding. The subtext, and the subject matter both create an unnerving quality, that makes the anticipation of what will come next truly exciting. Plus the blunt, quick finality of it all is super climactic.
"The Nameless" is not for all, however. If you are a fan of slow-moving, emotional melodramas that play with elements of horror, giallo, and thriller, with a steady heartbeat, then this film is worth checking out. There is a lot of character driven drama with minimal scenes of actual gory horror in this movie so be warned, if your are seeking the over- the-top giallo, filled with all things gruesome. This film is more of a rated –R story, more typical to TV movies than theatrical release, save the fact that it puts the subject matter, and intent in your face with bluntness. Also the scenes of death and fatal ending that some of the cast meet would never make it on television.-well not American television and never with such point blank actuality. I enjoyed this movie but it took the entire length of the film to appreciate the depth and character that this movie holds.
...why
reptilianseverywhere6 December 2010
I've seen lots and lots of horror movies. It's by far my favourite genre. I like a good scary movie; I also happen to like those laughable so-bad-it's-good kinds of movies; I even tend to forgive MEDIOCRE movies that rely on "jump scares" and "teen blood" to hold your attention. For good or bad, it's still entertainment.
What I can't forgive, what I loathe, is, well, a BORING movie; and that's the capital sin of "The Nameless", its real "ultimate atrocity". For a start, this movie is slow. Let's face it, you really can't afford to be slow unless you have a good plot and a good cast, and "The Nameless" has neither.
The plot is shallow, painfully so: clearly, no creative effort whatsoever was put into it. We're talking "copy-pasted straight from wikipedia" levels of dullness here. This is especially mortifying since the director stubbornly and dishonestly refuses to acknowledge it, and instead insists on feigning suspense where there's *none*.
With a slow, broken pace and an unimaginative, tired plot, you're left trying your very best to sympathize with the characters in a half-willed attempt to justify what seems more and more like a waste of time. Well, too bad! The characters are clichéd, they're onedimensional and just fail to come alive. It feels like even their writer didn't really care for them either.
So you hope beyond hope, you patiently wait for it to reach its climax, on its own terms, you keep waiting for it to surprise you, disturb you, redeem itself *somehow*... hey, this thing is supposed to be really... evil, and "extreme", right? Something *big* is bound to happen. Sooner or later. Or not. Suddenly, it's over.
What I can't forgive, what I loathe, is, well, a BORING movie; and that's the capital sin of "The Nameless", its real "ultimate atrocity". For a start, this movie is slow. Let's face it, you really can't afford to be slow unless you have a good plot and a good cast, and "The Nameless" has neither.
The plot is shallow, painfully so: clearly, no creative effort whatsoever was put into it. We're talking "copy-pasted straight from wikipedia" levels of dullness here. This is especially mortifying since the director stubbornly and dishonestly refuses to acknowledge it, and instead insists on feigning suspense where there's *none*.
With a slow, broken pace and an unimaginative, tired plot, you're left trying your very best to sympathize with the characters in a half-willed attempt to justify what seems more and more like a waste of time. Well, too bad! The characters are clichéd, they're onedimensional and just fail to come alive. It feels like even their writer didn't really care for them either.
So you hope beyond hope, you patiently wait for it to reach its climax, on its own terms, you keep waiting for it to surprise you, disturb you, redeem itself *somehow*... hey, this thing is supposed to be really... evil, and "extreme", right? Something *big* is bound to happen. Sooner or later. Or not. Suddenly, it's over.
quite well made European horror movie
dromasca12 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Director Jaume Balagueró's 1999 horror movie inspired by Ramsey Campbell's novel 'The Nameless' went out on DVD this year, trying to ride on the wave of relative success of the Japanese and Korean horror movies. The combination is not that bad, although the film is not flawless.
The story starts with a couple called to identify the body of their daughter, which is found in such a mutilated state that 100% identification is very difficult. Five years later, the marriage is broken, the woman leaves alone, on tranquilizers, seeming not to have really recovered after the loss. When a strange call seems to have her daughter calling for help at the end of the line, she is enrolling the help of the policeman who was in charge with the case. All traces lead to a esoteric violent cult, with some connections with the Nazis's medical experiences in WWII.
The idea of story is good, although story telling is too slow. Despite many things happening on the screen the pace is never satisfying. Another flaw is the tendency of the script and director to explain everything - in good horror movies leaving some stuff to imagination cannot harm. On the good side, I liked the acting, especially Emma Villarasau in the main role. The camera work is very good, maybe the strongest part of the film.
Overall, not a perfect movie, but still, quite a reasonable piece of horror, coming from an unexpected place.
The story starts with a couple called to identify the body of their daughter, which is found in such a mutilated state that 100% identification is very difficult. Five years later, the marriage is broken, the woman leaves alone, on tranquilizers, seeming not to have really recovered after the loss. When a strange call seems to have her daughter calling for help at the end of the line, she is enrolling the help of the policeman who was in charge with the case. All traces lead to a esoteric violent cult, with some connections with the Nazis's medical experiences in WWII.
The idea of story is good, although story telling is too slow. Despite many things happening on the screen the pace is never satisfying. Another flaw is the tendency of the script and director to explain everything - in good horror movies leaving some stuff to imagination cannot harm. On the good side, I liked the acting, especially Emma Villarasau in the main role. The camera work is very good, maybe the strongest part of the film.
Overall, not a perfect movie, but still, quite a reasonable piece of horror, coming from an unexpected place.
This movie is a paradox...
fuelrod31 October 2007
... because it's a perfect recipe on how to make an awful movie:
First you screen the last 40 years of horror movies and pick out the worst and most repeated clichés. Then you mix and put them together randomly, and if this mix makes just the hint of a meaningful plot... you remix. When you have a script with no meaning or logic at all you progress to the next step.
The actors. If you can't find amateur theatrical actors, you will probably have to pay professionals to over-act like it was a junior high school parents play: They cry, they shout, they make funny (scary ??) faces and strange looks with their eyes, they break down, they pretend with all means from their body language, they cry again, pretend again... and on... and on again.
Then you will need a sound design and a sound track. Because you have decided that this is a horror movie, you off cause need violins playing and strange, SCAAAAAAARY sounds. And a lot of it! Actually, you need so much of it that there isn't no room for it in the movie. But don't worry - you just toss it in. Don't care whether or not the sound fits what happens on the screen - you just turn up the master volume so loud that it shocks the audience when effects or music starts. It's a horror movie... so it's OK.
Now you are so deep into the production process that you have reached the point of no return. Despite the fact that you have realized that the ingredients have no taste, and the dish will end up with no flavor at all, you try to save it by using some spices.
You hire an artist to make an impressive set design: Strange, abandon houses with mysterious interior, decorations and symbols. But the artist can't help you with a new problem: How to connect this design with the story? Then you try a last way out: The picture. You find a skilled cinematographer who shoots the film beautiful, and one of your tech guys turns out to be a true magician when it comes to color grading.
You screen your final cut and realize that using the spices was in vain: The fine visual style of the movie turns pretentious when it's made to cover up a bad movie... like to much make up on bad skin.
To give yourself an artistic excuse for making and releasing the movie, you decide to make a new end, and a new title to the movie. The common factor of the movie, the title and the final scene is now the total lack of meaning...
--- This movie is a serious contender to the title of the worst movie ever made. It's a must see - must have: You can't conclude that you have seen a bad movie before you a seen this one. It has set a new standard for movies released for cinemas.
First you screen the last 40 years of horror movies and pick out the worst and most repeated clichés. Then you mix and put them together randomly, and if this mix makes just the hint of a meaningful plot... you remix. When you have a script with no meaning or logic at all you progress to the next step.
The actors. If you can't find amateur theatrical actors, you will probably have to pay professionals to over-act like it was a junior high school parents play: They cry, they shout, they make funny (scary ??) faces and strange looks with their eyes, they break down, they pretend with all means from their body language, they cry again, pretend again... and on... and on again.
Then you will need a sound design and a sound track. Because you have decided that this is a horror movie, you off cause need violins playing and strange, SCAAAAAAARY sounds. And a lot of it! Actually, you need so much of it that there isn't no room for it in the movie. But don't worry - you just toss it in. Don't care whether or not the sound fits what happens on the screen - you just turn up the master volume so loud that it shocks the audience when effects or music starts. It's a horror movie... so it's OK.
Now you are so deep into the production process that you have reached the point of no return. Despite the fact that you have realized that the ingredients have no taste, and the dish will end up with no flavor at all, you try to save it by using some spices.
You hire an artist to make an impressive set design: Strange, abandon houses with mysterious interior, decorations and symbols. But the artist can't help you with a new problem: How to connect this design with the story? Then you try a last way out: The picture. You find a skilled cinematographer who shoots the film beautiful, and one of your tech guys turns out to be a true magician when it comes to color grading.
You screen your final cut and realize that using the spices was in vain: The fine visual style of the movie turns pretentious when it's made to cover up a bad movie... like to much make up on bad skin.
To give yourself an artistic excuse for making and releasing the movie, you decide to make a new end, and a new title to the movie. The common factor of the movie, the title and the final scene is now the total lack of meaning...
--- This movie is a serious contender to the title of the worst movie ever made. It's a must see - must have: You can't conclude that you have seen a bad movie before you a seen this one. It has set a new standard for movies released for cinemas.
Subtitles vs. dubbed version
eamarkasky29 April 2017
I saw this movie several years ago with subtitles. It's a very dark and uncomfortable movie. I don't know that I loved it, but it was definitely interesting. However, I just watched it again and instead of subtitles, they dubbed the voices. OMG, it just ruins the whole movie. Shouldn't they be better at this by now?! It was like watching the old Japanese horror movies, like Mothra or Godzilla or Godzilla vs. Mothra (which BTW are campy fun). The dubbing was sooo bad that it was laughable. If you really hated this and were watching the dubbed version, you might want to try again with sub titles.
I wonder when the US remake with Julianne Moore will come out?
ThrownMuse12 March 2007
A little girl's dead body is found stripped of all possible means of identification. When it is discovered that one leg is longer than the other, it is assumed to be the body of a couple's missing daughter. After this trauma, the couple separates and the mother becomes addicted to tranquilizers and leads a miserable existence. All of this changes when one day, many years later, she receives a phone call from her daughter! With the help of an ex-cop and a reporter, she sets out on a journey to determine if her daughter is indeed alive. "Los Sin Nombre" is a mess plot-wise, moves at an achingly slow pace, and is completely unscary. The saving grace is Emma Vilarasau, who does an outstanding job as the desperate mother. The best part of the movie is the ending, but I'm not sure it is worth enduring the rest of the film. Beware of the English subtitles on the recent R1 release--they aren't very accurate.
Pretty creepy stuff.
dmuel1 October 2002
All in all, a pretty creepy film. The grim, dark texture of the movie adds to its disquieting storyline. I was surprised that other comments here found this film a disappointment, or worse. As some have noted its a far bit better than a lot of the Hollywood horror that's been churned out recently. It is certainly worth a look if you enjoy a movie that seeks to build a psychological tension as opposed to constantly trying to shock the viewer with either non-stop mayhem or half witted gross-outs.
Odd
xredgarnetx29 November 2005
THE NAMELESS is an odd little Italian horror film about a cult devoted to pure evil. A young girl is found mutilated and murdered, and her mother comes to believe she is still alive and in the hands of this cult. Her attempts to track her down lead to severe misfortune for everyone. This is a very low key and sinister flick, and not at all like an American horror film. It requires some patience to get through, and the ending is a definite turnoff. Made by the director of DARKNESS, another downer of a horror film. Based on a novel by British writer Ramsey Campbell, who often writes in the style of Lovecraft, although not in this case. (And for those who recognize my writing style, I am back under a new name.)
Exasperating movie.
cifra223 September 2002
OK. Here we are.
One of the most buzzed fantastic spanish movies of the last years... and it is a complete piece of garbage.
Bad acting, good plot but with poor screenplay, and a waste of stunning visuals that can't hide the horrible - and not horrifying - reality of this movie. This is the kind of movie that could have been GREAT, but is lost by an obsession with - empty - visuals.
Avoid it, but watch out for Jaume Balagueró's next effort: "Darkness"
One of the most buzzed fantastic spanish movies of the last years... and it is a complete piece of garbage.
Bad acting, good plot but with poor screenplay, and a waste of stunning visuals that can't hide the horrible - and not horrifying - reality of this movie. This is the kind of movie that could have been GREAT, but is lost by an obsession with - empty - visuals.
Avoid it, but watch out for Jaume Balagueró's next effort: "Darkness"
"A deviant definition of sainthood."
Backlash0073 February 2008
I had heard nothing but good things about Jaume Balaguero's The Nameless. Unfortunately I had watched The Darkness, Balaguero's second feature, prior to The Nameless so I just couldn't get excited about watching it. I had the disc sitting on my table for about two weeks before finally breaking down and watching it. It is leaps and bounds ahead of The Darkness (which I'm now sure Dimension messed up). The Nameless is based upon Ramsey Campbell's novel and, to my knowledge, is Campbell's first work to be filmed. It's about a cult called The Nameless who thinks they can achieve a level of purity by torturing the innocent. I don't want to give anything else away because the journey of the movie is very important and leads to one of the best and most fitting endings any movie ever had. If you saw The Darkness and weren't impressed, give Balaguero a second chance and see his superior thriller.
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