Even the most seasoned horror movie fan is going to scream through the walls while watching one of the scariest movies ever made, A Yard of Jackals, the feature-length debut of the instant international auteur, Diego Figueroa. Set in Chile during the 1970s, it follows Raul (Nestor Cantillana), a middle-aged man who makes miniature models and figurines for money as well as his own pleasure. He looks after his bedridden mother, Carmen (Grimanesa Jimenez), whom he calms down with recordings of nature he makes with the help of his friend, Laura (Blanca Lewin). Laura runs a salon with her sister, Renata (Maria Jesus Marcone), who is usually late to work as she spends the nights elsewhere after curfew.
“At night, the sounds of torture behind the walls get louder.”
Raul and his mother are woken up one night by a commotion in the next apartment. There is a lot of muffled yelling, then some horrible screams, followed by loud music to cover up the horrible screams. Raul calls the police, but when they show up, the man who lives next door (Alfredo Castro V) flashes a badge back at them. Soon, Raul notices strange men standing outside his door, watching him while smoking cigarettes. Then there is the strange young man with the scar on his face next door, Chacal (Juan Cano), who is always staring at him. At night, the sounds of torture behind the walls get louder. When Raul seeks help, things get worse than you could possibly imagine.
First off, let’s confirm A Yard of Jackals is a full-blown horror movie. It is also a historical drama, as well as an espionage suspense thriller. But at its darkest core, this is a magnificent horror movie. I am talking real horror, like the kind Lynch could summon up scarier than anybody back in his time. We should give thanks that right after we lost Lynch, we got Figueroa. Like Lynch, Figueroa establishes an eerie atmosphere, which he then permeates with indicators of the unthinkable. What is intriguing is that Figueroa is employing tools not found in Lynch’s chest. He is breaking his own weird trail.
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