El muro negro

I liked this movie but it was not without problems. I thought the plot was intriguing enough as contained films are good, and its not to say this is bad it just needed something more. Tim and olivia live in an apartment complex, they are having troubles but they wake up one morning to see a strange black magnetic wall has fitted itself into the building and stopping them from leaving. The stakes could have been higher. There is much threat here and the wall could have been utilized more than the three points of horror we see from it. But still its acted well and the thrill are enough to keep it going.

I liked it. The premise is original, and if you can overlook the several gaps in the logic of the story, you'll have a pretty fine scifi thriller. There's a good pace, with some nice jump scares and some modest violence. The various residents are sufficiently different, with each their own background, so that you can care for them. The way the main characters gradually found out how to operate the walls was cleverly done, and together with a few plot twists, it kept me entertained till the end. Maybe that ending wasn't too convincing, but the CGI of it was visually pretty impressive. The acting was overall good, I especially liked Matthias Schweighöfer, with his sturdy kind of charm.

The premise had promise. The idea if being trapped inside a building by a wall that covered the building in an instant, trying to figure out how it got there, what it is, and how to get out, was intriguing. Unfortunately the dialogue was weak and in many cases unbelievable. In some cases I expected a person to react in one way, maybe with astonishment, but instead the reaction was hum drum as if this was an every day occurrence. In other circumstances certain people were full of bravado and a take charge attitude, but when they really needed to come through they did nothing. A 180 turn from their character. The movie is not bad enough to enjoy as a really bad movie, and it's not good enough to take it seriously or recommend it to a friend, unless they have nothing else to watch. It does have a few redeeming qualities. When you don't lose focus in the parts with bad dialogue, it's intriguing enough to watch till the end.

52/100

The film starts with a promising premise - a mysterious black wall trapping people inside their own apartment, creating a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere. Unfortunately, the story quickly loses momentum as the characters remain underdeveloped and fail to engage emotionally. The acting is flat and unconvincing, making it hard to care about their fate. Visually, the movie looks decent, with some well-composed shots and a fitting soundtrack, but these elements alone aren't enough to save it. The plot feels repetitive and drags in the middle, leaving the viewer frustrated rather than intrigued. Overall, it's an average thriller with interesting ideas that aren't fully realized. Not something I'd recommend or revisit.

Tim and Olivia discover an occurrence: their apartment has been surrounded by strange bricks and a black substance that surrounds the entire block.

The very first thought that came to my mind was, 'Is this a remake of Await Further Instructions?' The initial premise was very, very similar. In terms of originality, the film didn't quite cut it; I've seen a similar concept done better.

Perhaps not original, but it is a formula that does work: a nice mystery, some good characters, it's well acted, and I wasn't bored. I really liked the final scene, and despite some dodgy special effects, the final act looked pretty good.

The film badly needed more of everything: more tension, more horror, more panic, and more threat. Were it not for Yuri, there wouldn't have been much of any of them. I thought Frederick Lau was good fun; his character seemed to have the right mindset for survival and was quite entertaining.

On the whole, it's not a bad film; just keep your expectations in check.

6/10.