If "not seeing it coming" is your decisive criterion for which thriller to watch, then go ahead and watch it. Some say the twists were way too obvious whereas others say the twists were realistically smart. I, therefore, cannot tell what is in store for you.If not, then carry on reading: I do not appreciate a movie that tries too hard to surprise and does that without a story. That keeps me asking "so what"? Personally, I didn't find the twists as realistic as some deem it to be, as realism, to me, has more to do with the tangibility of causes than the nature of effects.Once I had realized the movie was all about twists rather than the story, I stopped caring about how the story told in flashbacks would unfold (because a partially hidden retrospection is what these movies are all about, most of the time).So, there actually is a story, but the story pertains in the twists and I was expecting otherwise. It almost feels like the movie is saying to the viewer: "I want to surprise you so much that it is actually impossible for me to think of a captivating story with believable motives, see, a movie can only last this long and because I am filled up with twists, I cannot even build characters and back up my story, there is in fact no story even though it might seem otherwise, because there was no time to give you one." This is the single reason I rated this movie a 5. It is interesting enough to keep watching with an anticipation to see more of what is coming and then letting it all add up coherently, but, in the end, all I felt was that I didn't even care about what I had just seen. I couldn't find a single thing worthy of remembering in this movie.Other than that... I liked the performances of the actors. I found the setting to be a little too nondescript for my taste; with nothing really sticking out in particular and setting a memorable atmosphere. Maybe I should have chopped more off the rating because of that.

The philosophy professor Ramón (Darío Grandinetti) kidnaps his former wife and psychiatrist, Laura (Goya Toledo), locking her in the basement of his house tied to a chair, gagged and watching a video where he confesses nineteen murders. He proposes Laura to play a game of association of words, telling her that if she wins, he will let her go; otherwise he would push her eye out with a spoon. The Chief of Police Espinosa (Fernando Guillén) and Detective Sánchez (Eric Bonicatto) bring Ramón to the precinct to give his statement and explanations about the disappearance of Laura."Palabras Encadenadas" is a dark and complex thriller with an outstanding performance of Darío Grandinetti in the role of one of the scariest psychotic serial killers of the cinema history. However, the story has many twists, becomes confused and I need to see this movie again paying attention to details to be sure whether there are many plot holes and flaws or the writer is a genius. For example, was the message in the answering machine an edition of Laura words while playing the "words game"? If so, it is incredibly smart. Is Ramón really a serial killer or not? How can the police ignore eighteen murders associated with his confession? Or was his intention only revenge against Laura? Who sent the videotapes to the police? The relationship of Ramón and his mother is also not well explained. I liked this thriller but at least for me there are many points that are not clear. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Jogo de Palavras" ("Game of Words")

The previous reviewer pretty much said what I wanted to say: "Killing Words" is a difficult film to categorize, but if you have to place it under one genre, it's probably what they call a "mind-f**k". Twist upon twist upon twist - that's how this film proceeds. It constantly plays with your perceptions; just when you thing you've figured it all out, it proves you wrong. There are only four characters, and they are all effectively performed (and yes: Goya Toledo IS a sensual woman). The film is also stylishly directed and photographed. One minor point: the word game that Grandinetti and Toledo frequently play won't mean much to non-Spanish-speaking audiences. But Spanish is such a pleasant language to listen to anyway that this doesn't matter much. (**1/2)

Truly magnificent effort by all involved. I haven't seen a psychological thriller this good since the Silence of the Lambs. Dario Grandinetti's chilling portrayal of a seemingly psychotic serial killer is engrossing, evocative, amusing at times and too surreal it becomes terrifying. A flawless performance, his on-screen presence captured your attention refusing to let go, not even for a moment.His performance is equalled by Goya Toledo, whose stunning portrayal of Dario's wife, his both smart, sexy and strong.The writing and direction were also top-notch; developing the multi-dimensional characters full of depth, excellent cinematography, playing off the rival husband and wife against each other, etc.There seriously was not one fault with this film. A Must see!!!10/10