Made in 2007 this Spanish film is one that went under the radar which was a shame. It is all about a man imaginatively called 'Quim' - pronounced 'Keem' but still a cracking name. He is off to meet his ex girlfriend and try to put back his failed relationship back together, when he stops to fill up his car with petrol. There he has an encounter with a young and very light fingered young lady. He then heads off up this lonely mountain road.Then out of the blue he gets shot at - despite owning a Volvo (with an NCAP rating of 4 I believe) he still gets hit. Only after he tries to leave does he realise what real trouble he is in.Now there are a few plot holes here or rather some loose ends that I have only really realised on reflection. The plot is basic but the reveal or should I say reveals are good enough to prompt more than at least a couple of raised eyebrows. Good performances all round too; please note this is not a horror in the sense of blood and gore but more of a psychological thriller type. In Spanish with good sub titles - a film for those who really do like their films to be off the beaten track.

And his day got off to such a promising start. After stopping at a petrol station, a man finds himself propositioned to have a quick bit of nookie in the ladies toilet by a sexy young brunette. RESULT!! Unfortunately, he later discovers she's nicked his wallet and lighter. Oops. Still, on the road again, he sees her turn off and decides to pursue her vehicle... and before long, in circumstances too convoluted to explain, both are forced to team up as they find themselves stranded in the wilderness, being shot at by unseen snipers. Quite a turn-up for the books, eh? Known as 'King Of The Hill' here in the UK (But with no connection to the TV show of the same name) this is a nail biting thriller with a very small cast, but an abundance of tension and realism. The aspect I most enjoyed was the way the participants were fleshed out, as despite being on the run for the most of length we discover a lot about them through their words and actions alone. Even the main 'villains', who we don't meet until late on, and their own unique perspectives. This is crucial to the movie's success as if it was a simple chase between two sets of caricatures with no discernible personalities, it wouldn't be half as absorbing as it clearly is.People get hurt, tired and frustrated. Their very lives are on the line. They never know where the gunmen will crop up next. The terrain they have to trek through is inhospitable too, to say the least. It's all done with miraculous skill by the director, as the stakes are raised with every scene. Make sure you go to the bathroom beforehand... you're not gonna want to tear yourself away for a minute. A great thrill ride, and a smart one as well. 7/10

Spanish screenwriter, film editor and director Gonzalez López-Gallego's fourth feature film which he co-wrote with screenwriter and producer Javier Gullón, was screened in the Discovery section at the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival in 2007 and is a Spanish production which was shot on locations in the municipality of Vinuesa and Soliedra in the city and province of Soria, Spain and was produced by Spanish screenwriter and producer Miguel Bardem and producers Juan Pita, Juanma Arance and Álvaro Augustin. It tells the story about Quim, a young man who while on his way to visit his former girlfriend Sofia, stops at a petrol station in a small rural community and gets robbed by a young girl he has never seen before. As the girl vanishes without a trace Quim continues towards his destination, but all of the sudden he sees a flash up in the mountains and hears that a bullet hits his car.Finely and engagingly directed by Spanish filmmaker Gonzalez López-Gallego, this fast-paced fictional tale draws a riveting portrayal of a young man's struggle to survive after coincidentally becoming the target of a group of psychopathic hunters in the highlands of Soria, Spain. While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric rural milieu depictions, the fine cinematography by screenwriter and cinematographer José David Montero, editing by Gonzalez López-Gallego and use of sound, this character-driven psychological thriller depicts a sparse though efficient study of character and contains a prominent score by composer David Crespo.This forebodingly atmospheric story about a man who is involuntarily designated as a participant in an inhumane game of life and death, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, multiple viewpoints, esoteric characters and the involving acting performance by Argentinean actor Leonardo Sbaraglia. A continually intriguing mystery.

This minimalist Spanish thriller is yet another version of the age-old MOST DANGEROUS GAME story, yet filmed in such a way that it feels fresh and energetic despite the slimness of the plot. The Spanish have a way of taking the most simple elements of cinema – characters, a strong setting – and turning them into something often stylised and entertaining. KING OF THE HILL may not be up there in the ranks of REC and THE ORPHANAGE, but that doesn't stop it being a well made and beautifully shot little movie.The story is simple. After an arresting sexual encounter in a public toilet, a man and a woman find themselves stranded in the wilderness and at the mercy of unknown marksmen who are hunting them with dogs and rifles. There's no more to it than that, and when a couple of disbelieving policemen turn up, you can instantly guess their fate. Even the identity of the killers is rather ho-hum given the recent successes of EDEN LAKE and THEM.And yet still I found myself gripped by the unfolding events. That may be down to the lean, pared-down nature of the script or the genuine performances from the leading players – both Argentinian-born Leonardo Sbaraglia and his pretty sidekick, Maria Valverde, are fine at expressing stark terror at their impending doom. While I didn't agree with some of the plot twists that rob the movie of a single sympathetic character, I loved the bleak, beautifully-shot setting and the relentless nature of the action. Not a classic maybe, but still a serviceable outing.