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Kilómetro 31 (2006)

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Do You Believe in Ghosts?, 7 septiembre 2007

Author: Claudio Carvalho de Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

While driving through the kilometer 31 of a lonely road, Agata Hameran (Iliana Fox) hits a boy. She leaves her car to help the victim and another car runs over her and she falls in a deep coma. Her twin sister Catalina (Iliana Fox) telepathically feels the pain of Agata and hears her whispering for help. Together with her boyfriend Nuno (Adrià Collado) and Agata's mate Omar (Raúl Méndez), they return to the km 31 of the road, and find out that the place is surrounded by supernatural accidents caused by the ghost of a mother that lost her boy many years ago. Further, Catalina discloses that the spirit of Agata is trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead.

"Km 31" is an intriguing ghost story, with good performances, a dark cinematography and great special effects. Unfortunately, the messy screenplay spoils the conclusion of the plot of this promising and refreshing film. Like many others horror movies, the author and the director were not able to give a suitable resolution to the plot and I was absolutely frustrated with the awful ending. Anyway I do not dare to write that "Km 31" is a bad movie, but it could be better and better with improvements and better conclusion. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Km 31"

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12 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Outstanding!, 11 febrero 2007

Author: Julio Saenz (jacktheraperx) de Mexico

I know this is a Mexican movie and I'm Mexican, but for the sake of the website I'll write my review in English: I just went last night to see this movie, and as you can probably imagine I didn't slept all that well, some images kept popping in my mind after the lights were all gone.

Anyway, this movie is truly amazing it really stands way above the recent Hollywood/jap horror flicks, some may say that it's just a copy of that, but think about it! let's just compare it to "The ring" (not "Ringu") and you will see this one is not just a bunch of cheap "jumping moments" when you least expect it it builds to it, you don't know exactly when to expect it but when it happens it makes sense and the images get carved in the back of your brain, it has a lot of plot twists and many references to old Mexican folk tales which I dare to presume not all people will get, it has something for everyone, those who know will get to see those old ghost stories come to life in the way of an image, those who doesn't will get a horrifying good time.

This story is very well structured, the sound works incredibly at so many levels, the story is involving and straight to the point although we do not see a lot of character development it really is not necessary to understand the movie, the editing is great and the direction goes just beyond with some creative (altough sometimes pretentious) camera angles, the special effects were made with love just like the rest of movie, this is the kind of movie that you get out of teather feeling something's following you, will keep you up the night after you see it and the next day you will want to see it again.

I don't know if by any chance Rigoberto Castañeda will read this reviews but if he does I really need to tell him, my hat's off to you sir and I stand up and applaud such a marvelous work of art, being a hardcore horror fan I find it refreshing to see such a movie and it really does give me hope for the Mexican movies in the near future, I just wish you just started a trend, not for horror movies, but for quality movies.

Two thumbs up! -J

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11 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
good effort, 5 febrero 2007

Author: demetrioz de Mexico

the effort is there, it falls a little bit short. but all in all is a really good movie. I don't think is an amazing or excellent one, but it deserves the recognition. for starters the production is really good and the acting is not bad at all.

the myth involved in the story is well developed and of course there are elements that are taken from other films, but come on, not all films have to be an ultimate original. don't be so harsh and lame in your way of thinking. This movie is worth watching. the effects are really state of the art. the direction comes fluently as the acting too. Go see this movie and enjoy it.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Flawed, but good effort..., 10 mayo 2007

Author: José Luis Rivera Mendoza (jluis1984) de Mexico

Through the history of Mexican cinema, the horror genre has undergone a somewhat irregular development, as even when some excellent masterpieces of horror have been done at times, most of the times the horror movies done show more heart than talent, and even if the intentions are good the final product tends to lack quality in more than one aspect. To make things worse, the total production of horror movies has always been far below than the desired one, and even in the better days of Mexican cinema, horror was often relegated. Due to this reasons, it's always interesting whenever a new Mexican horror movie gets a release, as it's a new chance to make things right and redeem the genre once and for all. That's the reason why the brand new horror film, "Kilómetro 31", gathered so much hype on the days before its release, and while it certainly wasn't the horror film to save the genre, it has some good things going for it.

While driving one night through the forests near Mexico City, Agata Hameran (Iliana Fox) has a terrible accident on kilometer 31 in which she loses her legs and falls into a coma. After that horrible night, her twin sister Catalina (also Iliana Fox) begins to feel a strong psychic connection with her sister, as Agata seems to be screaming desperately for help. Haunted by horrible nightmares and ghastly visions, Catalina decides to investigate what exactly happened that night on kilometer 31, hoping to end the pain her sister is suffering. So, with the help of her best friend Nuño (Adrià Collado) and Agata's boyfriend, Omar (Raúl Méndez), Catalina begins an investigation that will lead her to the mystery behind the strange series of accidents that have happened on kilometer 31 since the construction of the highway.

Written by director Rigoberto Castañeda himself, the story of "Kilómetro 31" is an interesting reworking of many of the most iconic Mexican folk legends and ghost stories all mixed up into one single plot that while certainly modernized, retains that Mexican flavor that makes those legends so enjoyable. He also borrows many elements from the popular New Wave of Asian horror cinema that started in the late 90s, and attempts to adapt them into his own ghost story with some success, resulting into an interesting tale of mystery and horror. While the concept and back-story of the movie are quite interesting and really very well constructed, Castañeda's screenplay has a lot of problems in the development of its main story and its characters, mainly in the poor way most of the dialogs are written and the way the story gets unnecessarily complicated as a result of Castañeda's attempt to mix so many classic stories into one.

As a director, Castañeda has a great eye for visual composition, and is able to create a very atmospheric movie pretty much in the style of "Ringu"'s director Hideo Nakata. However, unlike the Japanese movies that inspired him, Castañeda is more adept to use his many special effects, and he doesn't waste a chance to show off the excellent work of his visual effects team; in fact, through the film he seems to be more comfortable directing the special effects scenes than his human actors, and as a result, he doesn't manage to get a good quality in the cast's performances. Honestly, the work done by both the makeup department and the digital effects department is simply remarkable, probably the best work ever done in the history of Mexican cinema; however, Castañeda seems unable to find a balance and often overuses them in excess.

As written above, the performances of the cast are nothing amazing, and truly hurt a film that certainly deserved better. As the Hameran sisters, Iliana Fox makes a very weak and unsympathetic lead character, almost like one of her characters in Mexican soap operas. Oddly enough, her character is one of the better written in the film, but she seems unable to pull off something good out from it. Spaniard actor Adrià Collado plays Nuño, making a very good performance and delivers the best acting in the film. As Agata's boyfriend, Omar, Raúl Méndez is simply good, nothing special, but considering the bad writing of his character, one could say he did a great job. Carlos Aragon and Luisa Huertas appear in minor roles, Aragon having a nice turn as Officer Ugalde and Huertas delivering a terribly bad performance (like Fox, in a very soap opera style) as the Old lady that guides Catalina.

Due to its very noticeable similarities, "Kilómetro 31" could be considered a direct heir of that popular brand of Asian horror, as often through the film Castañeda shows the enormous influence those movies had in him. This is of course, a double edged sword, as due to his overuse of the conventions and clichés of Asian horror, Castañeda could easily be seen as a director without a style of his own and limited only to copy what has proved to be successful in Asia and the United States. The extreme reliance on special effects and jump scares to make his film "scary" is one major problem the movie has, as often those devises break the good atmosphere that Castañeda manages to create thanks to Alejandro Martínez' excellent cinematography (who clearly has improved his work).

In the end, there is no doubt that "Kilómetro 31" is a work of excellent quality in its production, and with the intentions of being the horror movie to resurrect the Mexican horror genre, however, it's obvious that the intentions of making it "hip", "cool" and therefore commercially successful got in the middle of the making, resulting in an often derivative movie. It's a flawed film, but it's a nice effort that hopefully, will inspire more Mexican filmmakers to give a chance to horror. A final word of advice: if you hated Asian ghost stories, stay away from this film. 6/10

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11 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Great horror film, 2 febrero 2007

Author: efren_111 de MTY Mexico

This film is great, its not particularly deep and reflective it is simply what it needs to be, a pure really good commercial horror film.

I wont deny it borrows a lot of the aesthetics from J Horror however I don't see the big deal as so does every recent ghost/supernatural flick from the rest of Asia and the US. It worked for it so why should I complain about them not coming up with a whole new never before seen look when I never ask that from international films.

I went to see it in the theater in the middle of the afternoon and the place was packed(which really hindered my enjoyment but thats beyond the point), more so than any other Mexican flick I've ever seen on the theater, it was mostly teenagers of the like you would likely see on American horror films but rarely on a Mexican film and they really were enjoying it. There were screaming like crazy and more than one girl left the theater scared before the thing was finished. I've read more than one bad review by the all knowing "profetional Critics" but at the end of the day I'm sure the guys from Lemon Films will laugh at them all the way to the bank to cash their big checks, this movie will be a huge commercial success and hopefully fuel the making of horror films in Mexico.

Im looking forward for Castañeda's next flicks, hopefully after that Blackout one he will get to do more Mexican films and wont be relegated to do all his work outside like it has Happened to Guillermo DelToro.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Not bad Mexican horror,but not particularly memorable., 8 octubre 2007

Author: HumanoidOfFlesh de Chyby,Poland

After the death of their mother when they were children,twins Agata and Catalina develop a psychic skill allowing them to communicate over great distances.But Agata falls into a coma after an accident on kilometer 31 and Catalina experiences all her pain.Tormented by Agata's psychic screams for help,Catalina sets out to find what really happened to Agata and finds that her twin has fallen victim of the ancient and terrifying curse of La Llorona,the screaming woman.The main problem of "Km 31" is that the film is heavily americanized.Sure,it utilizes some old-school Mexican folklore tales as the back-story,but the filmmakers just don't do enough with it.The acting is solid,the film is beautifully made and some moments are mildly creepy,but horror fans expecting something gruesome should really give this one a pass.

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Beautifully done but really confusing, 26 abril 2008
Author: slayrrr666 (slayrrr666@yahoo.com) de Los Angeles, Ca

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Kilómetro 31" is a rather impressive and fun, yet still slightly flawed ghost film.

**SPOILERS**

After her sister's accident, Catalina, (Iliana Fox) discovers that she was injured at a stretch of the road known to the locals as Kilometer 31. Along with her friend Nuno, (Adria Collado) and her boyfriend Omar, (Raul Mendez) she decides to head out to the area and find out more about the tragic accident. Reaching the town of the accident, they find that the locals are afraid of the stretch of the road due to a series of strange hauntings from a child-like ghost that haunts the area. When they come into contact with Anciana, (Luisa Huertas) an old woman who lives nearby, she tells them that the stories about it being haunted are true, and that the two sisters are more involved with the incidents than they are aware of. Using that to help them, they try to unravel the mystery before more people fall victim to the supernatural occurrences that plague the road.

The Good News: This here wasn't all that bad of a film, and had some good parts going for it. The fact that the film has some really impressive atmosphere and suspense is something to be admired of. The opening in here works mainly because it was so unusual, as the ghostly figure running by in the nearly-invisible rainstorm on a darkened road is one of the single creepiest images ever, and the resulting scares with the car and the crash are just so much better because of it. The middle section, once they're out investigating the incidents feature some good parts, but these can't compare to the film's best part, the last half hour. This here is incredible, and is merely packed with atmosphere and suspense. Dank hospitals, foggy forests and subterranean tunnels, which are delivered with extra atmosphere due to the imminently chilling feature due to the fact that it constantly uses the tactic of having unseen, ghostly voices emanating from deeper within, make this section of the film so enjoyable it nearly wipes away the flaws by itself. It's the film at it's creepiest, and therefore most enjoyable moments. This is helped along by it's really nice pacing, since it gets fairly strong once it gets going and never really stops until the end, making it enjoyable for most of the running time as something's always happening. The last part here that works is the central story. As tired as it is, it serves as an excellent starting point for the action due to it's rather creative twist and clever points. These here are what really help the film along.

The Bad News: This here had a few problems to it that hold it down. The main one here is that the film is just way too clichéd and familiar for it's own good. From the repetitive scares that feature something jumping out of nowhere with a loud musical sting to popping up in the most-expected places, this one here uses a lot of familiar tricks to it's trade. The over-used child figure of recent horror films from around the world is something else from that which holds this down. The fact that there's enough films that use the trick to begin with is something that will hurt some towards it, but by having one that doesn't do anything with it manages to give it a troubling feel. There's nothing new in here that it explores with the really unique story, as it's just so similar to all the other ghost films out there. Even worse, it uses the same tired scares as those other films, since there's a pale white ghost girl with long black hair as the main stalker here. It's all too familiar for its own good. The last flaw here is that the film has something of a confusing plot to it, never really sure where it's going and taking a really twisting view to get there. It starts off nicely with the mystery of the road and the ensuing accidents, but before long it drags away from there and becomes more about their back-story with the road than it is about the ghosts, and it changes around at the wrong time, when it was getting interesting with the other story, and isn't helped along by the meandering subplots about the twin sisters' past and their loves in the present. Those scenes are really long, boring and only serve to lengthen the film out, rather than providing answers from the back-story that's already been figured out. These here are the film's few flaws.

The Final Verdict: Slightly clichéd and just a little flawed, this one here wasn't terrible either with a lot going for it as well, giving this one some merit. Give it a go if in the mood for something really unique and fun, have a strong love for Japanese ghost films or find it interesting, while those tired of such films should heed caution.

Rated R: Violence, Language and children in danger

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Not bad,not great, 10 marzo 2008

Author: collipal-1 de Argentina

There are two kinds of Mexican horror cinema:Gothic movies about ghosts made in the 60's and the 70's (like Hasta el Viento Tiene Miedo) and ridiculous parodies which are impossible to be taken seriously (like the intolerable film Pepito Contra los Monstruos).After a long absence of Mexican horror films,Kilómetro 31 is a good return to the horror films from that nationality but,having said that,I have to say the final result is generic and unoriginal.For one sight,I understand director Rigoberto Castañeda's dilemma:for getting the financing of the movie,he had to try with known formulas.The negative sight of Kilómetro 31 is that the film is a rip-off of themes,concepts and ideas we have seen on a lot recent horror movies:the disturbing boy with a white skin,the ghostly woman,the water as a supernatural element,the accidents and the technology as drivers of evil spirits.In other words,all the clichés from the recent Asian horror films combined with the style and complex special effects from the North American horror movies.At least,the use of Mexican legends and the excellent use of locations bring the movie some own identity.Kilómetro 31 is one of that movies which ranges between solidity and mediocrity.The performances are very exaggerated and,near the ending,the special effects are excessive and forced and they try to reach impact the screenplay never gets.Maybe,what plays against this movie in my case,is that I have seen thousands of horror films so,I'm very conscious of all the clichés Kilómetro 31 uses.Maybe,the casual spectators will like this movie more than me.After all,I cannot deny it's entertaining.In a few words:Kilómetro 31 is not a bad movie and I did not dislike it.But,there are too many clichés on this movie.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
It isn't as bad as some people think!, 25 septiembre 2007

Author: caste78 de Colombia

Having seen some previous Mexican horror films, I have to say that I wasn't at all bored with this movie. I found it a excellent attempt for the horror genre. Really I don't understand why people have cataloged Km 31 as "dissapointment" with 1/10, even Mexican people!. I think that When something is made at home, you'd like to know what would think the people abroad. Don't be too hard with it, did you expect something outstanding?, come on guys!, if you see the genre "terror" in IMDb, most the horror films have no high grades, movies with huge investment, anyway, I think this movie is good, better than I expected and I recommend it.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Very very very disappointing... and I am from México, 26 febrero 2007

Author: miacases de Mexico

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It is very sad when a movie with so much potential turns out to be very disappointing. I consider my self to be a Horror movie fan, and the thought of getting the opportunity to finally watch a modern Mexican horror movie prompted me to have high expectations, but after watching this movie such high expectations dropped to the ground like a bomb.

What makes this film so disappointing is that the writers took one of the most famous ghost legends in Mexican folklore "The legend of la Llorona" and instead of making a story with an original Mexican feel, they made the Hollywood version of a Japanese horror movie, but spoken in Spanish.

The acting is bad, the story is pretentious and unoriginal, and some scenes don't even make sense.

One good note is that the movie actually has some very scary moments, but another earlier Mexican horror movie is way better... "Hasta el viento tiene miedo" or in English "Even the wind is scared"; however, you wont be able to find this one on DVD yet.

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