Stay Out of the Sun!

Eskalofrío aka Shiver (2008)

Directed By: Isidro Ortiz

Written By: Hernan Migoya and Jose Gamo

Teenage boy Santi has a skin disorder where he is extremely sensitive to sunlight. This forces him and his single mother to live their lives on opposite schedules than normal families. Santi goes to night school and doesn't have very many friends. Him and his mother decide to move to a small town in the mountains where the sun doesn't shine for long periods of time and the town is shaded by the mountains. Santi meets a super cute girl named Angela and they become quick friends. When a series of murders happen all after Santi and his mother arrive in town, the townsfolk begin to suspect the newcomers to the village have a secret they are hiding. The truth is, the village and the house Santi and his mother moved into are harboring a secret. A terrible secret that will rock the foundation of the village and test the bond between mother and son.

'Shiver', form the producers of the extremely well done 'Pan's Labrynth', starts out as a very dark and brooding movie. Somewhere along the way it starts to get a little cheesy. Don't get me wrong, I love cheesy movies but for a movie that starts out so moody, cheesy is not the way to go. Everything from some acting to the musical score to some of the blood effects start to get a little laughable. It kind of dissappointed me; not enough to turn me away though. Also, it's not a very original story. It takes from many different stories and puts them together.That being said, it was executed very well. The camera work was great and there were some very tense and heartpounding moments. I'm not sure whether the director wanted the creature reveal to be a twist or not but it didn't work out. I would definitely take the time to 'Shiver' if you haven't already. This one is not to be missed. Some of you will probably end up with a new crush on actress Blanca Suarez. It's available to stream instantly on Netflix so take advantage if you have it. If you dig foreign movies and urban legend type stories then you will definitely love 'Shiver'. Tension, mystery, and cute spanish girls give 'Shiver' an 8/10.