Having seen two new horror anthologies in the same amount of days, I might be tempted to say that their popularity is on the rise once again. While this format has always been a favorite of mine, they aren’t always executed successfully. Continue reading to see whether or not Sebastian Rotstein and Federico Rotstein were able to pull out all the stops with their film, Terror 5.
The Plot
Terror is all around on one long night in Buenos Aries. Zombies are walking the streets, while a plan to swap girlfriends goes horribly wrong for two friends, a group of teens watch a snuff film, and a couple are met with brutality after their romantic hotel stay goes awry.
My Thoughts
I’ve always said that anthology films are perfect for the modern audience; Everyone is so used to things happening so quickly these days with social media and news (real or fake) constantly being flooded into our minds virtually 24/7. This perpetual overflow of information has caused attention spans to diminish greatly. Films that can get their points across in 15 to 20 minutes and then move onto the next story are the perfect way to reach today’s population.
While this is how almost all anthology films are setup, brothers Sebastian and Federico Rotstein have created one that strays from the norm a bit. Instead of following this segmented formula, their tales are all happening simultaneously.
While all Hell is breaking loose on the city streets, a group of obnoxious teens are partying indoors. At the same time, a frisky couple are making love, then fighting, then making love, then fighting again in a motel room. These events are all taking place in the same night, at the same time, and we, the audience, get to check in on everything every so often.
There are no chapters, no wrap around story. Everything is intertwined while still being isolated in their respective locations. That is, until the very final act of the Terror 5, where things really start falling apart.
Terror 5 is a bit confusing at times, but that may just be something that is lost in translation, quite frankly. There were a couple of occasions early on in the film’s 78 minutes where I questioned what exactly was going on. There may be a deeper meaning that I am just not seeing at this time, which could require future re-watches to fully grasp.
The Verdict
This Argentinian production is an interesting take on the anthology format of storytelling. It breaks the usual mold we’ve seen utilized for years and I commend the brothers Rotstein for that.
Terror 5 features a talented cast of performers, young and old. They help to guide the various stories along smoothly, with no real weak links among them.
Although there isn’t much gore to be seen, the few messier moments are absolutely brutal and will go far with all of you ferocious goreheads out there. The effects seem to all be executed with practical means, as opposed to any lackluster CGI.
Artsploitation Films have done an awesome job, yet again, bringing a film to light that I’m sure I would have never heard of otherwise. If you are a fan of anthology horror films, you won’t want to miss Terror 5.
It will be available to own on DVD from Artsploitation Films on Tuesday, April 2. Be sure to go out and grab yourself a copy!
I give Terror 5 3 jerks in Kiss make-up out of 5.
