Cold Sweat

This was a film that I believe I heard about on a podcast as well as it was listed in a horror film encyclopedia. I decided to check it out as part of my research into this genre. I came in quite blind, which is my most preferred method for horror films. The official synopsis is Román (Facundo Espinosa) and his friend Ali (Marina Glezer) seeks out his girlfriend Jackie (Camila Velasco) in a dangerous zone in a suburb in Buenos Aires. They get more than they bargained for in their search.

We kick this film off with a little bit of back-story. It appears that back in the 1970's there was political unrest in Argentina. There was a group that was trying to overthrow the government and in retaliation there was a group that was anti-communist. The anti-communist group was quite violent and had to disband. Before they did, some crates of dynamite were stolen and not heard from again.

The film then abruptly shifts to a couple in a car. They are Román and Ali. From what we gather, she likes him, but they are searching for his ex-girlfriend. They were having some issues, but he still cares about her. There are feelings for Ali was well. The last thing that was told to them was Jackie met a blonde guy and they were leaving the country together. Ali finds online a house that sent an e-mail from the same IP address as the last one from Jackie. Ali goes inside and finds a young man, but he doesn't seem to have arms. She's hit on the head.

Román gets out of the car to help an elderly man across the street and starts to ask around about the house he just helped the man into. He also goes inside to find that things aren't really as they seem. The old man he helped inside is blind in one eye and walks with a walker. He has another man living with him who is overweight. Ali is taken hostage and she isn't the only one. These men seem to be professional at this and the dynamite from earlier has been used for a liquid that keeps these people from fleeing. They will now try to get out of this ordeal alive, but the longer they're there, the darker secrets they uncover.

Much like how I started this review, I really like the back-story of this film. In 2018 I went to a film festival where they showed a film from South America that started around the same time as this one did, in that during the political unrest times where communism was really catching hold. It seems like it created a lot of problems in the country, but a lot more of it from the Right Wing groups that were dead set on punishing them. We get throughout the film the two old men when they were younger and we see they are psychopaths. They also looked like they could have been secret agents as well.

I will say that the start of the actual narrative to this film was a bit clunky. I was a little confused as to why Román and Ali were there. The story did catch my interest pretty quickly and then I caught up to it. This film almost has a Saw feel to it where there are kind of traps set-up. I'm not entirely sure what the two men are out to do and why they are doing what they are, but it carries a creepy feel throughout the film. The use of acid and nitroglycerin is quite creative.

The last aspect of the story to cover is something else I wanted to expand on. The stakes definitely get raised in that if this liquid drips off, it will explode. Now I do know that nitro is volatile, but I wasn't sure if it was as much as this film is claiming. The film recovers in that the one-eyed old man says he's experimented with it, so I'll let it slide. There is a tense scene where someone is covered in it and I really liked that though.

Pacing of this film is really good as well. The film has a runtime of 80 minutes. It jumps right in giving us the necessary back-story and then getting right into the film itself. I happened to look at the clock at the 1 hour mark and was shocked I was that far into it. It kept my attention all the way to that point. There are some things I had issue with in the film itself, but I liked how it played out. The ending was quite fitting for things that have happened earlier.

Acting for the film was something that was pretty solid as well. Espinosa I thought was solid. He isn't great and I don't necessarily buy into him as the hero. I think the film really plays up that the three leads all shares it, so I think that is part of the reason as well. Glezer I liked as well. She is more of the quirky girl. She likes Román, but knows who he has feelings for. She is there for him when she needs him and helping to find Jackie. Velasco is also solid. We don't see her for some time, but she is probably the character with the most change of these three. We also get to see her topless and in panties, which doesn't hurt the film at all. The two villains were solid. I thought having them be old gives an interesting dynamic, especially with a chase that happens in the film. It is fitting for the back-story as well. There are also a group of punks and women in this film that both round out for what was needed.

Something that wasn't so good was the effects for the film. I thought they did some practical, which were fine. We get some blood and some aftereffects of things that happen to people. The problem though was the CGI that was used. I know there are a couple explosions that it just doesn't hold up and it took me out of the film. The film was shot beautifully other than that though.

Now with that said, I enjoyed aspects of the film. I really like the back-story. It is an area I don't know a lot about when it comes to history, but it interesting with the political climate in America currently. The film is a bit jarring early on. It does settle in with a solid concept and I like where it goes. The pacing is good and it builds tension. I thought the acting was solid across the broad. Practical effects in the film were also good, but there weren't enough of them. The CGI doesn't hold up and it took me out of the film. The score of the film didn't really hurt or help the film, so I'll stay neutral as it didn't stand out. I would like to know more and feel this film could have added a bit more of plot, but regardless I found this to be above average. If this sounds interesting, I'd give it a viewing for sure

This film had a great idea. A plot with so many twists that it could actually have worked out right. But, the many ways dilemmas are resolved throughout the script are way beyond suspending judgment. And I find that boring, sad and hilarious. The film is very well done and has very good acting. The sets are amazing and photography, well, amazing.

There's a clear (more than clear, it's sometimes a copy) reference to many of Dario Argento's films. The super slow-motion, ultra-dramatic scenes are just one example. The way music is used is not only reminiscent of Argento, but with almost exactly the same choices of genres and styles. This could've been great in that time; today it really distracts the audience from the continuous and completely unjustified drama you watch.

The way the script (or later decisions) resorted to the "forgotten wild women" lair, is gratuitous and very, very funny, but it gets in the narrative so deeply that it is a pity to watch. Good entertainment, lots of blood, extremely well crafted gore, beautiful super-slo-mo and a creative torture made me give the film 6 stars. But films are about stories, and here, we have one that came out a bit uncooked and way over the top.

I'm from Argentina and I'm interested in development of Horror movies in my country, so I was excited about this film. Now I've seen it, my disappointment is total.

The acting is disastrous. Bogliano seems to be so inept directing actors that he even achieved to make Marina Glezer (a talented actress) perform poorly. In addition, one of the old villains (the one with gray bear) apparently dubbed his own voice in post-production but making a voice totally unnatural, affected and contradictory with his character's personality.

The Script is pure excrement (I'm not exaggerating). The main idea of the movie (Women kidnapped with nitroglycerine over their body, in order to escape without provoking an explosion can undress, cut their hair, change position, bend, stay on foot, and even crawl upstairs, but can not walk) is totally illogical. The guy's decision to enter the house and then his persistence on staying there, instead of calling the police, are both absurd. From then on, everything that follows (literally everything) is garbage (I won't give examples because them would be sp0ilers). As an Awful-Script Bonus, there is a zombie-style ludicrous plot element, and a pathetic attempt of transmitting a message about the dark years of last Argentine Dictatorship.

The construction of characters' personality and personal conflicts is extremely poor and childish and the dialogs are surprisingly unnatural and stupid (but not even funny).

The visual aspect (frame, shots, FX, photography) is terrible. A funny detail about this is that the untalented model Camila Velasco was hired for this movie because of her sexy body (huge natural boobs, lovely lolita-like skin) but the low quality of the photography ruined her short moment of partial nudity. The sound is also poor, and the music choices are ridiculous.

It is important to clarify this is not a low-budget movie. 2.2 Million ARS is a reasonable amount of money for filming with Argentine costs a teen Horror movie with four main actors and basically just one location. Actually, what is sadly scarce here is talent and passion.

I came by to read the reviews after watching this movie and I'm surprised they're so negative! I didn't expect much of it after recently watching another Latin American horror movie, Somos lo que hay, which I found insufferably boring, but this one was really worth my while. The atmosphere is dark and gritty, the main characters are likable and believable, and I loved the soundtrack (I'll be looking it up on the internet now). It might not be a cinematic masterpiece but it's definitely more entertaining that your average cookie-cutter boring torture movie. I had a great time with this movie and I recommend it to anyone who wants to have a fun and tense evening with friends. There is some nudity on it and some gory moments, but it it more centered around the plot than around blood, boobs and guts.

First of all, I have nothing against slow-paced movies. In fact, some of my all time favorites are considered downright boring by many. However, when a film contains scenes where the alleged "heroine" has escaped and is standing by a doorway and watching the "villian" (the guy I ended up rooting for after countless acts of stupidity from the two central characters) harmlessly typing on a computer yet does nothing... There is a problem. Three minutes later, and after two long shots of a weapon lying on a nearby table from her point of view, and still nothing has happened... Well, then things simply become infuriating. In fact, the film even cuts away to another scene halfway through, only to return to the woman gaping at the bad guy as opposed to, you know... moving. At all. By this point most people have just stopped caring and all tension is lost.

That scene pretty much summed up the movie for me. Repeated acts of stupidity + nothing happening = A lot of frustration and boredom for the viewer. Half the scenes are in super slow motion, the characters who were meek suddenly become tough, wisecracking (well, the script/actor's attempts at it) heroes due to an inconsistent script and the acting is sub par to cap it off.

My Final Rating - 3/10. "Cold Sweat" would definitely work better as a 30 minute short than the full length feature movie it was dragged out to be. All in all, there are about three good scenes in the whole movie, hence the rating. Although to find those scenes you need to ride through the tedious waves of the film at a snail's pace which, in my opinion, is not worth the effort.