Shiver: A Film Review

I hate dubbed movies; the difference between lip movements and voices distract me from the film. So you can imagine how pleased I was to see Shiver in its native Spanish with subtitles. The film's original title is Escalofrío. According to an Internet search, this translates to "get the chills." Neither "chills" nor "shiver" give any literal insight to the movie. They do, however, foreshadow your feelings by the time the final credits roll.

The protagonist, Santi (convincingly portrayed by Junio Valverde), is unable to be in the sun because of a medical condition. His midnight lifestyle, and the emotional stress that goes with it, prevents him from having a social life. The result is a very lonely, awkward boy. When he and his mother move to a small community that lies in the shadow of a mountain, his torment starts over. His body benefits from the lack of UV, but he is once again an outcast. When people begin dying in the woods near his new home, the townsfolk stop calling him a freak and start accusing him of murder.

Obviously, Santi is not the killer. Who is? The hints begin early on. Brief glimpses of something, moving branches and ominous noises open the door for speculation. The guesses ran wild in my own living room. My husband and I considered at least a dozen possibilities... and none of them were correct. The reveal is surprising and intense. But it's not the end of the film. Even after seeing the culprit, there are questions to resolve. Not to mention the fact that it's still loose in the woods.

Shiver is conservative where special effects are concerned. The few dream sequences are well-done, and the makeup impressed me. Fortunately, the movie makes good use of symbolism and simple effects to create suspense.

I was disappointed in the young heroine. Angela (Blanca Suarez) is more than a little two-dimensional. She serves the purpose of a young girl in a monster movie. She falls, screams and cries. She tries to discourage the hero's persistence in going rogue to prove his innocence. She's pretty. And at one point, her shirt is torn off. She offers very little else to the film.

Overall, Shiver did give me the chills. I didn't jump out of my skin or scream - maybe I've been desensitized by all of the horror flicks I watch - but I was genuinely creeped out. The slow realization of the true nature of the killer, along with the well-placed effects, raised the hair on my neck. If you slept with all the lights on after seeing Ju-On, put a flashlight by the bed. You'll need it.