Hey there, looking for an action packed horror flick? Try somewhere else. El Paramo, or 'The Squad' (so we can all pronounce it fairly decent) is more of a psychological thriller in which a group of nine pro soldiers of a special anti-guerrilla unit are sent to an abandoned base located over a mountain in the Colombian Andes which has lost contact a few days ago. Why? Supposedly because they were under attack. At the time the commandos arrive, they find only one survivor. And that's where the game begins.Suspicion, paranoia and treason. The root of all evil is inside the group itself and that's what makes this film stand out. It might seem like a bit of a spoiler but I think it's really important for the viewer to concentrate on the right aspect as soon as possible, in stead of waiting on something that will never come. It is what it is, and it's shockingly suspenseful. The misty hills of Colombia are the perfect place for such an isolated horror flick in which the tensions get so high that you yourself will get desperate and confused. The visual style is creepily dark and unpredictable. Because of the mist it's hard to look any further than a few meters (get used to it Americans) ahead and that adds up to the 'locked up' feeling the soldiers must have. They can't go anywhere and have to deal with their fears and disagreements on the spot. When all structure is lost, who will come out alive in the end? Total anarchy, whooo! A must see if you're not a neurotic adrenaline beast, just sit back and get dissolved in this wall of suspense and strong written conversations. It had to be well acted to come across and thankfully they had a great group of unknown yet ambitious guys to form a convincing group of depraving commandos. Two thumbs up for this foreign piece of delicious psychological horror.

El Páramo is a tension-filled horror-thriller from Colombian director Jaime Osorio Marquez.It tells the story of a squad of soldiers, who have been sent to investigate a remote, fog-stricken, mountain outpost, believed to have been overrun by guerillas.Though, once they arrive...there is no one to be found. Only what looks to be the aftermath of a massacre.Eventually, they discover a female guerilla holed up behind a wall that is scrawled with spells, and covered with magical charms, meant to ward off the devil.The squad members can't agree on whether she is a witch; or whether she is responsible for whatever atrocity occurred here...but one thing is certain...it has struck a wedge between them.Whatever you think occurs, it has the effect of revealing the men for who they truly are. It separates the good from the evil; the strong minded from the weak willed; and the survivors from the dead.This is exacerbated when the most sadistic f*ck in the unit is killed, after being alone with the woman (whom he planned on torturing and/or raping). If she was able to kill an entire unit, and the man who made them all cower in fear- they feel she must be more than just your average guerilla.Now that she's on the lamb, pure fear sets in. And what follows is an expert psychological breakdown of the military mindset.Is someone really out there, using magic to knock them off one-by-one...or is it all in their heads...with themselves being the only ones to blame? A couple clever twists, expertly placed, keeps you thinking about this; and, just when you think you've gotten it all figured out- forces you to question your assumptions.You really need to have patience- and engage in reflection- to fully appreciate this film. It is neither an action packed, nor gore based, horror...as some critics were clearly expecting. It plods along slowly, builds tension; and forces you to engage with the characters, by encouraging you to break each of them down them down psychologically.In the end, what made me enjoy this film so much, is how it acts as a scathing critique of the military mindset. Going into it, I fully expected this to be a pro-military propaganda piece, with a horror angle. But it's not. It's completely the opposite. Not only does it act to condemn the war (in Colombia), in general...but also encourages you to reflect on how dangerous it is to throw ordinary people (with all their psychological misgivings and limitations) into such situations. It's an atrocity waiting to happen.Slow build-up aside, I found this to be a relatively engrossing film.6 out of 10.

A special high mountain command (stars : Juan David Restrepo, Mateo Stevel, Andrés Castañeda, Daniela Catz, and Nelson Camayo, among others) of nine is sent to a military base in a desolate high-plains moor of Colombia , but all contact with the military base high in the desolate wastelands of Colombia has been lost . Contact was lost several days ago and was believed to be target of a guerrilla attack . Upon arrival, the only person found inside the base results to be a woman , as the men discover a shocking scene of carnage, and only one survivor , a peasant who is heavily chained . Gradually , the team is disturbingly hooked by isolation and the impossibility to escape , and creating them doubts about the true nature of that strange woman . They start to question the identity of their enemy, and the true nature of the strange , silent woman . Is she a terrorist ? A victim? Or something more sinister? Something supernatural… Paranoia takes root . Prisoners of fear and the terrible secret they share , and the events go wrong .This stirring as well as violent film has breathless , brutal scenes , a gut punch of an action film , it creates a nice amount of tension and fright . It begins when authorities – believing a military base to have fallen to a terrorist attack – send a nine-man squad to investigate ; as a special unit of combat taking on the challenges of dealing with pressure themselves , isolating , fright and fighting at an unnamed war . This is a thrilling picture with terror elements in which a squad is submitted to strange horrors and impossibility of escape that undermine the integrity and sanity of the soldiers, causing them to lose the certainties about the identify of the enemy . It's an interesting movie , from the beginning until the end the frightening and scary action is unstoppable . It's a thought-provoking and clever studio of an Elite Squad , about some experienced soldiers, and unflinching remark at the lack of communication , as a group inability to communicate with the outside world originating upsetting feelings , hatred and confrontation . The film turns out to be a crossover from various flicks , as it takes parts here and there of The Bunker by Rob Green , Deathwatch by Michael J. Basset , The Guard Post , among others . The flick has an eerie atmosphere , it is in gloomy color , enhanced by the mud of trenches and with lights and shades that originates a ghostly setting . Set design is alright , the movie is enough atmospheric , the dark sludge , the dirtiness and filthiness with the muddy trenches are very well designed .Jaime Osorio Marquez makes his acceptable writing and directing debut with this tale of an elite team of soldiers , though overusing the Steadicam . American remake rights to The Squad (El Paramo) have already been snatched up by a Hollywood producer. Colombia Reports says Scott Lastaiti (his previous credits include executive producing Turistas , Love in the Time of Cholera and Stan Helsing) saw the film, thought it was "chilling," and ultimately purchased the rights.

Unfortunately The Squad fails to deliver on its interesting premise and promising first ten minutes. Competent camera work and a decent cast is unable to make up for a lack of plot, structure or coherent direction. I can appreciate what the director was attempting to do with lingering close-ups of grim, suffering faces, subtle sound cues and atmospheric lighting, but one can only rely on those techniques so long before delivering some kind of pay-off. For me the film completely failed to rack up any tension or arrive at a destination. I was more concerned with wondering why the characters - supposedly trained soldiers in a war zone - were behaving more like angsty teens who've fallen out with their parents.The message that in a civil war everyone looks like the enemy could have been portrayed far more effectively without tacking on a poorly-realized supernatural element. The film-makers tried to do both and ended up with neither. I hate using the word, but 'boring' really is the only word that comes to mind.