I sometimes use other movies as reference points in my reviews, but it's a tricky proposition. You want people to get a sense of something, you want to convey certain elements, but you don't want everyone to start comparing every aspect. Which is why I almost decided against mentioning Caveat here, a film that kept popping into my mind as I watched Amigo.
This is the tale of two friends living together in a remote lodge. Javi (Javier Botet) is a man who can barely speak or move, and he is being cared for by David (David Pareja). There's been a bad accident, that much is clear, but the details are kept hazy, leaving it up to viewers to figure out if these two men are actually still friends, if someone is in danger, and what will happen as one, or both, start to question the reality of their current circumstances.
A feature directorial debut from Óscar Martín, who also co-wrote the script with Botet and Pareja, Amigo is an interesting and atmospheric thriller that manages to move around in very familiar territory without feeling tired and tiresome. A lot of that is down to the casting of the leads, but Martín has a superb visual eye that delivers scenes mixing beauty and grit filtered through a lens worked by the talented cinematographer Alberto Morago (trust me, keep an eye out for his name on other projects).
You may not recognise Botet here, but if you're a horror movie fan then you have most likely seen some of his work already (he's been in numerous big horror movies throughout the past couple of decades, including portraying THAT character at the end of [Rec]). He's not hidden under a lot of monster make-up here, but his physicality is still used to great effect, emphasising just how weak and vulnerable his character is. Pareja isn't quite as unnerving and captivating as an onscreen presence, but he works brilliantly alongside Botet in what is, for the most part, a taut two-hander. There are a couple of other people who pop in and out of the narrative, but everything stays tightly focused on the see-sawing dynamic between Botet and Pareja.
The runtime is a lean 83 minutes, and that's just about as long as it should be. There's not too much substance here, although the intriguing puzzle of the backstory is there for viewers to piece together and consider, but atmosphere and tension are poured over every main scene, leading to a finale that is as dark and satisfying as you might expect.
I look forward to whatever feature Martín helms next, and this is recommended to anyone who wants some nightmare imagery punctuated by fleeting moments of very, and I do mean very, dark comedy (because it is there). Unspectacular, but solid and chilling fare.
7/10
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