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Full review on my blog max4movies: La Casa Lobo (international title: The Wolf House) is basically an animated dark fairy tale that achieves a wonderfully haunting atmosphere due to the unique and disturbing animation. It's an art movie in the truest sense of the word and the art direction - namely stop-motion animation with three-dimensional paintings and papier mâché characters - is stunning. While the characters remain mostly vague and the plot cryptic at best, the dreamlike quality and eerie atmosphere really take the crown. All in all, La Casa Lobo feels like you're watching a slowly evolving nightmare that, although it's not entirely yours, is still terrifyingly creepy.

Full review on my blog max4movies: Nayak (international title "Nayak: The Hero") is an Indian Bengali-language drama about a famous actor traveling to Delhi to receive an important award. At the height of his career, he is confronted with his past as a struggling theater actor, when an educated young woman interviews him. The movie is a thoughtful drama, that pays great attention to its characters, who behave in an authentic and believable way. Without becoming pretentious, the movie addresses several important social issues - while not shying away from also criticizing how the movie industry often only produces cheap entertainment. In addition to the mostly efficient writing and the strong and down to Earth performances, the cinematography is marvelous and makes for some memorable scenes.

Full review on my blog max4movies: La Caza (international title: The Hunt) is a drama about three aging friends reuniting for hunting rabbits. The heat and talking about past mistakes make the men increasingly aggressive, until a catastrophe happens. The characters' backstories are told in an unconventional way and because of the wonderful cinematography the movie succeeds in presenting believable characters on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Although the hunt sequences overtly depict violence against animals and could have easily been toned down, the dramatic escalation is well-written, and the conflict between the men feels authentic.