On the 3rd Day

For a movie that features some big heavyweights from the Argentinian acting scene, this movie feels incredibly amateurish. The narrative is disjointed and jumbled, and the movie is edited with no sense of cointinuity, the story (nothing new or surprising to begin with) feels like a succession of unrelated scenes. There are plenty of random oniric-like sequences peppered with fx that look like something from a 60's B horror movie, but not in a good way. Furthermore, there's little to no explanation for anything that the protagonists do, they just wander from one scene to the next doing things because the script demands it (minor spoiler: ten minutes into the movie and just after a quick exchange between them, the doctor decides to take his patient to... a psychic? Why was he so eager to help her, in the first place?. De-rigueur hypnotism session ensues and we have a glimpse into what the big reveal is going to be, and boy, is so cliche and trite, and done with the subtlety and technical prowess of an elementary school play). Acting, maybe with the exception of Gerardo Romano and the two cameo-length appearances by Arturo Bonín and Rodolfo Ranni, is mediocre. It could have been a little scary B horror movie with a 60's feel to it, but it ended up being almost like a satire.

RESERVED ONLY FOR HORROR FANS. Very unique low budget film On the 3rd Day is a great lesson in building suspense. Almost at the beginning of the film, we know something horrific has happened, but we don't know what. The filmmakers take a non-linear method of storytelling, relying primarily on flashbacks, in order to gradually reveal clues leading up to the final shocking moments. There is also a lot of unique mythos created for the film around some familiar concepts to horror fans, making things a bit more interesting. The pacing is perfect and the storytelling method perfectly keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Anghileri gives an especially powerful performance as Cecilia, making sure the audience truly cares about what happened to her and her son. On top of that, On the 3rd Day has a beautiful musical score to add to the tension as well as delightfully disturbing practical effects. I will say, the practical effects for the final big reveal and an end-credit scene are not my favorite, but a majority of the film is near-perfect.

Stylish horror worth checking out for light fun. If you enjoyed Terrified (2017) - this would be an ideal companion film for a double feature. This movie is a bit kitschier. The story is skeletal, occasionally predictable, and just enough to keep things always moving forward. It seemed to be a love letter to Bava and Argento in almost every way...Gothic overtones, and some of those characters! The flow made the viewing experience similar to reading a graphic novel or comic (better than Creepshow ever did). Some very striking and beautiful sequences and the lighting always seemed spot on. The hypnotism scene was so ambitious, fun, and well done. The basic Horror aspects of this film are rather common. Nothing here hasn't been seen before. The way they were put together, however, definitely held my interest. I was interested and curious which direction things would go. There are even a few genuine surprises. Some outrageous bits that were unintentionally amusing. Excellent practical effects. It was nothing I'd take seriously...but a very fun watch. For those confused by the ending - there is a post-credits sequence that spells it out.

Cecilia (Mariana Anghileri) has had a car accident - colliding with Enrique (Gerardo Romano) who is delivering a mysterious package - and even three days afterward, she finds herself wandering a lonely road seeking her son, who disappeared in the aftermath. She soon learns that she's being accused of kidnapping her child and another accident that evening by her ex-husband Fernando (Diego Cremonesi) and Inspector Ventura (Osvaldo Santoro). Meanwhile, Dr. Hernán (Lautaro Delgado) tries to use hypnosis to help her remember exactly what happened that night. Coming from Argentina - the home of films like Terrified and The Curious Dr. Humpp - and filmmaker Daniel de la Vega, this film is full of moody dread and palpable loss. Helping it along the way are the score by Luciano Onetti (who is part of the Onetti Brothers who made Francesca and Abrakadabra) as well as cinematographer Mariano Suárez's (Daemonium: Soldier of the Underworld) eye guiding the camera. As Cecelia tries to piece together the last three days, Enrique the priest who she was in the accident with is still looking for the ancient Catholic relic that was lost in the wreckage and will do anything to get it back. It starts off slow, but stick with it. There's something here, even if it isn't perfect. Daniel de la Vega seems like someone who is going to keep putting out interesting horror, so I'll keep watching his film.

Cecilia has a car accident which was clearly her fault for not paying attention to the road. She comes to in a basement with no memory and ends up in a hospital. Her son is missing and her ex-husband wants to know where he is. Cecilia runs when the police want to question her about the accident and her son. Meanwhile in a subplot there is a man who has a woman chained up in his basement with heavy religious overtures. I was disappointed in the film. It was a confusing mess. Hey, let's make the audience as confused as Cecilia so they will like the film more! Not a great idea. I was waiting for the director to do an aside in the middle of the feature to explain to us what was going on. Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

Mariana Angheleri is the only reason for my four star rating. She is much better than the material here. She is escaping from a domineering ex with her boy when she has a car accident. What follows is a mess. A priest recites the Apostles' Creed, thus, "on the third day." He goes on a bloody rampage without explanation. I can appreciate a good devil themed film such as The Exorcist or The Omen, but they had clear and concise story lines. On the Third Day is an incomprehensible mess.

RESERVED ONLY FOR HORROR FANS. Very unique low budget film On the 3rd Day is a great lesson in building suspense. Almost at the beginning of the film, we know something horrific has happened, but we don't know what. The filmmakers take a non-linear method of storytelling, relying primarily on flashbacks, in order to gradually reveal clues leading up to the final shocking moments. There is also a lot of unique mythos created for the film around some familiar concepts to horror fans, making things a bit more interesting. The pacing is perfect and the storytelling method perfectly keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Anghileri gives an especially powerful performance as Cecilia, making sure the audience truly cares about what happened to her and her son. On top of that, On the 3rd Day has a beautiful musical score to add to the tension as well as delightfully disturbing practical effects. I will say, the practical effects for the final big reveal and an end-credit scene are not my favorite, but a majority of the film is near-perfect.