Three Recent, Fabulous Foreign Films with Supernatural Themes

Supernatural themed films are a dime a dozen certainly, and in perusing the aisles of Blockbuster, or the pages of Netflix, you get the feeling that a dime may have actually been the production budget for many of them. It's so disappointing to rent something in which the description seems promising, only to find it's a mindless, straight-to-DVD, formulaic piece of garbage, or worse, a bloody slasher movie.

I watch a lot of movies, and the supernatural thriller is one of my favorite genres. But-it has to be smart and well written. I also love foreign films, and I'm particularly pleased when I find a great one reminiscent of a great Twilight Zone-y theme. I've recently seen three fairly current foreign films with great supernatural themes that are sure to please the most discriminating viewer.

La Moustache (2005) is a French Kafakaesque, (yes the term is overused, but I guarantee it is appropriate here) psychological mystery, with a large and welcome dark comedy overtone, by director/writer Emmanuel Carrère, who also directed the lovely and more widely distributed film Cache. La Moustache explores the essence and artifices of identity and relationships through seemingly mundane and follisome events, which shift into disturbing questions and existential paranoia. There's something primal about the fear expressed within this film-the fear that the sane world revolving around you is changing drastically or even disappearing. Remember that Star Trek TNG episode in which the Universe literally begins to enclose around Dr. Crusher, and she finds herself destined to be utterly alone? La Moustache is like that, only it's not physical isolation.

They Came Back (Les Revenants, 2005) is a zombie movie in which the zombies are disturbingly normal. With no warning, the recently dead (13,000 of them) suddenly arise from a French town's cemeteries, wearing their freshly-pressed pantsuits and with no trace of injury or disease that lead them to their temporary graves. The horror is subtle here, but looms hugely. There are no teary, jubilant reunions, although family members are reunited. There's realistic, heartbreaking caution, fear and angst. There are communal makeshift quarters in gymnasiums for the undead, committees formed to study their anomalous pathologies, social orders drawn and implemented. They Came Back is a study in the Other, which is always more intriguing when it's obvious the mysterious Other is really Us.

The Promise (La Promisa, 2004) is a Spanish ghost movie with huge psychological and tragic overtones. It stars Carmen Maura, whom observant filmgoers may recognize as Penelope Cruz's ghostly mother from the brilliant Pedro Almovodar's 2007 Academy Award Nominated Volver. On impulse, Maura dyes her hair red, and leaves her abusive husband for the supposedly idyllic town mentioned by a dying stranger. She instantly befriends a young mother and son, and soon gains employment in their discordant mansion as a nanny, happily and almost eerily sinking into her caricaturized role, wearing her optional maid's uniform with zest. Desires and delusions, ghosts and strange deeds make for an engaging and pleasing storyline, while the twists and turns mirror the mind state of Maura's disturbed but endearing and sympathetic character.

All three arthouse-type movies are definitely off the beaten path of the often cliched supernatural, or psychological thriller genre, and have generally received positive critical reviews. All are available off the shelf in most rental establishments, and at Netflix and Blockbuster's online services.