Back in 2017, director Nicolas Onetti made his debut with a feature called What the Waters Left Behind spent in the aftermath of nature reclaiming the town Epecuén, Argentina through a massive flash flood in 1985, since the area has remained abandoned (appearing very apocalyptic) with parts still submerged; talk production values, the location speaks volumes. In that movie we saw a small group of documentarian filmmakers meet an unfortunate demise, this time the story expands a bit but still sets 90% of it this same town. It contains a familiar trope almost to the point of cliché a group of friends venture to x-location in search of a friend, overstay and encounter desperate locals before they meet ghastly ends. Yep, it’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Hills Have Eyes, with a tinge of Wrong Turn thrown in for good measure. Unlike his debut, Nicola’s brother Luciano is not serving as co-director, he took the helm solo, though he still included this time as composer for the film’s score. In addition, Camilo Zaffora (Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker [2023]), serves as screenwriter and works to present a clear understanding of the riffs inside a band on their final tour date and then move it along quickly to the carnage which is what a viewer for this movie prefers.

The film opens with a prologue, which denotes it as Falkland Islands in 1982, which for the uniformed was an undeclared 10-week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom concerning dependent colonies; it is here we witness the brutality of one of the villains then as a soldier and cannibal. Sadly, that is all the background that is given to the family of sadistic cannibals, one really aches for more exposure to their existence in the town prior to the flood. The main story begins with the indie-rock band The Ravens (coincidentally some of the incredible songs throughout the film are performed by Raven Black) are at their final show of the tour an absolute dive bar with 20-folks in attendance in Argentina, shortly after the concert, the clear animosity shows through namely from drummer Billy Bob (Matías Desiderio) who is making out with a local groupie Carla, the band announced they are behind schedule and would just like to go home, but is encouraged to give Carla (Magui Bravi) a ride back to her Grandfather’s house and some free BBQ. We all know big red flag and alarm bells go off, but they agree with a tiff occurring the two love-birds leave the RV but soon cause them, the rest of the band, Jane (Clara Kovacic (Dark Web: Descent Into Hell [2021])), Mark (Juan Pablo Bishel) and his girlfriend Sophie (Eugenia Rigón), their manager Javi (Agustin Olcese), to search out their so-called friend. It’s easy to see that script stays firm to the well-used formula, as soon the band is abducted and off to the infamous slaughterhouse of nightmares resides, sadly never exploring any other angles or avenues. Soon we meet the vicious family of murderers, rapists, and torturers headed by Tadeo (Mario Alarcón (Panic in the Forest [(1989])), the grandfather who often sits on bone throne surrounded by his family Antonio (Germán Baudino (Dead Heart [2015])), Chimango (Chucho Fernández) and Tito (David Michigan). Within the band we see that they are not buddy-buddy, and tend to argue a bit which is mirror representation to the family and the strife within themselves, yet still no further background about they all come together as the don’t to hold many genetic traits. We witness brutality and suggested rapes of both a man and woman but nothing like either the Serbian film or I Spit on Your Grave [1978] thankfully, but still more of the same that the first movie produced.

The performances work fairly well, some chemistry is better than others though Magui Bravi does very well showing multiple facets quickly from sultry seductress to protector and finally comforter. The film uses the golden rule of real estate location, location, location let it does all the heavy lifting and speaking from various angels, accomplished wonderfully with a steady high-drone shot surveying on the damage of this dead city all thanks to cinematographer Luciano Montes de Oca; however once inside it’s the typical green lighting of dark, grimy world filled the familiar chains penned-up victims found in any rural horror movie leaves the creative behind. It even contains a scene similar to the Last Supper, with both the band and ‘Family’ gather together all facing outward, clearly breaking the fourth wall of acting, no reason given just weirdness.

Last Supper

This movie seems to fall into a subgenre known in some circles but growing as rural terror, as opposed to its others of island horror and city chaos, think of it as identity the horror relation to location as the influencing contribution factor; shockingly one of the first films was The Old Dark House [1932]. As to define rural horror it primarily means an outsider snooping around in an area they shouldn’t venture to or explore. Often these films find themselves mixed into the torture porn nevertheless they can stand on their own wobbling, damaged legs, which consists of hostile isolationism and inbred/cross bred locals and cannibalistic practices. Some of the films found in this grouping aside from the ones mentioned earlier is The Last House on the Left (1972), I Spit on Your Grave (1978), Cannibal Ferox (1981), and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986).

Overall, it is exactly what you expect for the film, likely a tad 10-minutes of padding that could’ve been cut, otherwise some elements of torture porn, however not too extreme. The content has been done a lot of times and with better techniques such as the acid pour on skin, it’s sadly dreadful also the band starts to blend so closely together that one starts to dismiss with their actual names. It is more or less the same movie as before, just switching out the victims, do yourself a favor watch The Hills Have Eyes [1977], yes some depraved moments yet still not truly scary or even that gory its often implied. Therefore, if part one was a thrill, then take on this one if not there’s plenty of other rural horrors to discover or revisit.

Oh, the music in the film is truly killer, especially Raven’s Black “Seven Sins”!

TAGLINES:

• Ellos vienen por ti. [They’re coming for you.]
• Rock will tear us apart.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20412894/

IMDb Rating: 4.8/10

Baron’s Rating¨4.5/10