INTRUDERS

Spain, 2011, 100 minutes, Colour.
Clive Owen, Carice van Houten, Daniel Bruehl, Pilar Lopez de Ayalla, Ella Purnell, Izan Corchero, Kerry Fox.
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.

Intruders is an interesting drama, with touches of horror. It was written and directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, director of the award-winning Intacto as well as the sequel to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later.

It has two episodes intercut, one with a little boy in Spain with his mother, the other with a young girl with her parents in England. Both children having nightmares and experience a bogeyman kind of creature, Hollowface. The film emphasises the nightmares in the Spanish story and the mother going to a priest and considering exorcism. In the British story, the little girl tells her story in class, has her nightmares but goes to the school counsellor. However, the girl’s father has to confront the demons and Hollowface. When he goes to see his mother, the audience realises that he is the boy of the Spanish story.

Clive Owen, as always, is intense as the father. Carice van Horton is the mother. Daniel Bruehl is the priest.

An entertainingly eerie film.

1. An interesting Spanish thriller? Horror elements? Nightmares? Religious overtones?

2. Stories, running parallel? Bringing them together at the end? The different time eras? The surprise that the father was the little boy of the first story?

3. Spanish locations, the home, the church? The contrast with the English locations, the London work site and heights, country house, school? Atmospheric score?

4. The Spanish story: Juan, making up stories about Hollowface, his mother listening to the stories, his nightmares and Hollowface outside the room, confronting his mother, under the bed? His mother reassuring him? Going to the priest, his sympathetic response, the mother’s attempt at confession in the pew, leaving the church, Juan getting worse, the approach to the priest, requesting a ceremony, an exorcism?

5. The priest, his age, experience, in the church, at Mass, welcoming the mother, hearing her confession, her approach for an exorcism, his discussions with the older priest, the recommendation of some kind of psychological treatment, thinking that a ceremony was not appropriate for the occasion, for the attractive mother? The effect on the boy and his seeming recovery?

6. The English story: John, his work in construction, high on the building? His friend and discussion? At home, his wife, her family, the estate? The birthday, the celebration, the gift of the doll? His relationship with his wife, love for his daughter? The worker and the building, trying to keep his group, the man falling? The effect on John?

7. The daughter, her telling the story of Hollowface at school? No ending? The rapt attention, the teacher’s praise? Her playing on her birthday, the tree, the hole, finding the manuscript? Her beginning to be haunted by Hollow face? In her room, the nightmares? The face without a mouth? Going to the counsellor, the discussions?

8. John, hearing the noises, encountering Hollowface, the fights? Rescuing his daughter? His wife, her concern, not seeing Hollowface?

9. The police, their concern? The wife unable to give evidence?

10. John, going to see his mother, the realisation that he was the young Juan? His mother, her covering up the truth, Hollowface not just a story, but reality?

11. The final confrontation? John protecting his daughter? Exorcising his own demons?