A still from the film Intruders. (TIFF)
By Chantelle Joy Duxbury
This moody, tense thriller follows a young Spanish boy named Juan (Izán Corchero), who lives in fear of a faceless intruder known as Hollow Face.
His mother tries desperately to convince him that his nightmares aren't real, but soon becomes a nervous wreck herself, seeking any method to absolve her own worries and concerns for her son.
Interwoven with this story is one that takes place thirty years later, involving Mia (Ella Purnell) and her father John (Clive Owen). She, too, fears Hollow Face.
They fight to protect themselves against the menace that returns each night, trying desperately to get rid of him.
Without hesitation, I'd recommend this film. Most thriller/horror movies can be one -dimensional. But by intermingling the psychological and paranormal, Intruders leaves us to ponder the meaning of each of the encounters with Hollow Face.
This makes for a much more fulfilling cinematic experience than other slice-and-dice horror films.
Before seeing the film, I thought it would be interesting to compare it to another family-horror film, which was at the festival last year.
Although similar in tone to TIFF 2010's Insidious, Intruders succeeds where it had failed, and creates a cohesive and clear plot that revolves around inherited fear. I certainly hope this one comes to theatres, as it's a gem, not to be missed!
You still have a chance to catch Intruders this Friday at Scotiabank Theatre at 9:00pm, as per the TIFF Schedule. If you've seen it, or plan to, please let me know what you think, find me on twitter @ChantelleJoy
