When Angels Sleep( or to give it is spanish title ‘Cuando Los Angeles Duermen’) has just hit Netflix here in the UK and bloody hell is this the definition of the phrase ‘well that escalated quickly’ in this Spanish thriller from director Gonzalo Bendala, director of Innocent Killers (Asesinos Inocentes). The film follows the story of businessman German (Julian Villagran – Grupo 7, Extraterrestrial) who is trying to rush home to see his daughter on her birthday after a business meeting runs longer than expected. Tired and in no fit state to drive he finds himself in a heap of trouble when he accidentally hits a young woman named Gloria (Asia Ortega – Your Son) on a dark side road. Panicking he tries to get Gloria into his car so he can rush her to hospital, but Gloria’s friend Silvia (Esta Expostio – Elite, Locked Up) sees this and believes German is trying to kidnap them and has murdered her friend and so begins a night of misunderstandings and an unintentional game of cat and mouse.
When Angels Sleep is a definite Frightfest style choice of film, which I am shocked wasn’t at any of the events this year. It is tense enough without the film begin to much bad or good. It is a middle of the road thriller (no pun intended) with so good acting across the board. It reminds me of films like In Fear with it’s dark roads that seem to last forever, but what this film brings is that sudden sense of dread of how quickly a good Samaritan can turn or at the very least seem to be a bad person. Villagran’s German is a prime example of how trying to do the good thing and not being able to explain yourself can lead to chasing a woman down in an attempt to get her to safety, which probably isn’t the best thing to do in hindsight. Villagran plays this well, you kind of feel sorry for him from the start and you even kind of hate the character of Silvia during the first half of the film. She is irritating from the off, which I will assume isn’t meant to be intentional, which really takes the care away from her till the final act where German’s mood changes.
However on the other-side you can see why Silvia is tripping the hell out. What would you be like if you suddenly find your best friend being carted into the back of a strangers car? You would go nuts on the guy and run the hell away, but Silvia is fucked off her gourd on crack which isn’t really going to help matters.
When Angels Sleep is an interesting little thriller with a convincing lead who becomes his own villain by the end act. The story is well paced with a nice little b-plot of his family life and the dickhole friends of Gloria and Silvia that complete the overall story in full with no major loose ends. It didn’t feel too long either, something that films like this have been guilt of in the past which is a huge plus in my book.
This is a good little watch for a quiet evenings entertainment so head on over to Netflix now and give it a go.
When Angels Sleep is a definite Frightfest style choice of film, which I am shocked wasn’t at any of the events this year. It is tense enough without the film begin to much bad or good. It is a middle of the road thriller (no pun intended) with so good acting across the board. It reminds me of films like In Fear with it’s dark roads that seem to last forever, but what this film brings is that sudden sense of dread of how quickly a good Samaritan can turn or at the very least seem to be a bad person. Villagran’s German is a prime example of how trying to do the good thing and not being able to explain yourself can lead to chasing a woman down in an attempt to get her to safety, which probably isn’t the best thing to do in hindsight. Villagran plays this well, you kind of feel sorry for him from the start and you even kind of hate the character of Silvia during the first half of the film. She is irritating from the off, which I will assume isn’t meant to be intentional, which really takes the care away from her till the final act where German’s mood changes.
However on the other-side you can see why Silvia is tripping the hell out. What would you be like if you suddenly find your best friend being carted into the back of a strangers car? You would go nuts on the guy and run the hell away, but Silvia is fucked off her gourd on crack which isn’t really going to help matters.
When Angels Sleep is an interesting little thriller with a convincing lead who becomes his own villain by the end act. The story is well paced with a nice little b-plot of his family life and the dickhole friends of Gloria and Silvia that complete the overall story in full with no major loose ends. It didn’t feel too long either, something that films like this have been guilt of in the past which is a huge plus in my book.
This is a good little watch for a quiet evenings entertainment so head on over to Netflix now and give it a go.
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