There’s a somewhat menacing and slightly disturbing atmosphere in Ezio Massa’s 2/11 Día de los muertos (11/2 Day of the Dead), largely a thriller with a horror edge to it. It’s not only because of the desaturated, washed out colours that make the locations look sort of moribund, but also because of a hazy layer of shadows that permeates most of the night scenes. Some close ups of the actors, precisely when the camera captures them with worrying and pensive looks, add a sense of despair and intrigue — it certainly helps that their performances are rightfully restrained as to make them realistic (Juan Gil Navarro, Agustina Lecouna, and Nicolás Alberti head the list).
So, in terms of the overall ambiance, you could say everything is pretty much in sync. And then there’s the script. Not that it’s that dreadful, but it falls very short in trying to build a tense, intriguing story as the one a thriller calls for — let alone one with elements of horror. And it’s not because the initial premise is overworked, but because it’s wrongly executed almost from beginning to end. No wonder: the basic mechanisms for achieving true suspense are missing in action.
The story goes like this: a naked man in shock, bathed in blood, is found running through the woods surrounding a small town. He can’t remember what happened to him or to his three friends, who’ve disappeared into thin air. His older brother is a policeman — the only person who could help to remember what he has chosen or was forced to forget. As far as the set-up goes, no problems are to be found. You get to know the environment, some things about the characters, some past events that occurred 15 years before, and some details about an unresolved conflict between the brothers.
But from then on, 2/11 Día de los muertos takes forever to lift off. Some issues include scenes cut short, others that linger too long, little dramatic progression, a somewhat disorganized narrative, and a musical score that’s overplayed to the point of being annoying. And when the bloody massacre is finally onscreen, there’s not nearly enough gore, graphic violence, and blood. Let alone horror.
Production notes
2/11 Día de los muertos (Argentina, 2012). Directed by Ezio Massa. Written by Ezio Massa, Sebastián Tabany. Stars: Juan Gil Navarro, Agustina Lecouna, Nicolás Alberti. Cinematography: Leonardo Val. Running time: 92 minutes.
