BLIND ALLEY (REVIEW)

Dir. Antonio Trashorras

Reviewer. Martyn Wakefield

BLIND ALLEY may boast an early star performance from Ana De Armas who many will know from her English speaking roles, however a conflict of audio and visual contrasts make it a strange, but intriguing little horror film.

When actress Rosa (de Armas) visits a laundromat late at night, she is accompanied by a suspicious man who causes a night of terror for her. A playful soundtrack, backlit alleys and camerawork that resembles film noir Gotham, all collide to create an inconsistent mess of a film that ruins a simple premise by out stretching its victim versus villain scenario.

References to 60s glam, especially with a Bond like opening credits scene, are littered throughout but go against the gritty and grotesque back alleys occupied by Rosa and her tormenter.

BLIND ALLEY is not without its moments. At its best it's a tense cat and mouse chase with Ana de Armas proving her talent from early in her career as well as homing one of the most gruesome depictions of vampiric death on film, however, coming from the writer of THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, the themes explored don't always land and subsequently as a film, it's a choppy blend of stalker horror and ghostly apparitions that don't always gel as well as they should.

By the time it gets to its blood soaked finale, the villainous coupe that is terrifying Rosa are reduced to a wasted discovery that should have been introduced way sooner instead of the long and drawn out journey to get there. There are interesting ideas scattered throughout, however they are never explored long enough for them to sink any emotional impact. BLIND ALLEY has a lot to sink it's teeth into but leaves it too late to satisfy the thirst.