El Incidente is a metaphorical sci-fi thriller with an important lesson about life.

Chased by a police officer, Oliver and his brother, Carlos, enter a stairwell. Soon enough, to their dismay, they find themselves stuck in the never-ending stairwell with the officer still on their tail and Carlos injured from a gunshot. Meanwhile, a family goes on a road trip, only to find themselves horrified upon realising they are going down a never-ending highway. The events seem disconnected at first, but slowly the truth emerges.

The Spanish fantasy flick released in 2014 is a didactic film which sets out to alert us of the importance of life and motivation. With two parallel stories both about youth and adulthood, the film successfully urges its viewers to take a look at themselves and consider their own lives. It is well done for the most part. The film should be commended for its greatest strength, which is its ability to convey its core message intriguingly despite its limited budget and setting.

The film, however, suffers quite a bit from its pacing, especially during the second story about the road trip. Repetitions of elements throughout the two stories slow down the film significantly, and the laborious and overly-expositional final sections of the film do not help. In my opinion, the inconsistent pacing is mainly due to the filmmakers’ lack of trust in the audience’s ability to grasp the metaphors, resulting in some lengthy explanations which bloated the film. That being said, the film does leave some stones unturned. There are a couple of delightful Easter eggs worth looking out for by attentive viewers.

Nothing much can be said about the performance of the cast, as the film’s characters do not offer much opportunity for memorable performances. That is not a huge issue since the film captivates not with its performances but with its simplicity and message.

Kudos to music supervisor Edy Lan and his team for the marvellous use of music in the film. The same goes for cinematographer Rodrigo San for the beautifully-shot scenes and camera work. These are among the many crucial elements that make watching the film a truly wonderful experience.

All in all, El Incidente is a brilliantly deep sci-fi thriller that prompts its audience to ponder and think. Despite the pacing, the film is still a treat, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

Author: Chia Jing Heng (andreusjh99)