Movie Review: Aftershock [2012]

Do Not Watch Trailer!

"If you are going to watch this film, forget trailer, because it gives you every possible spoiler"

Aftershock - directed by Nicolás López, written and acted by Eli Roth - tells a story of 6 people trying to survive in Chile after destructive earthquake. Three friends, Gringo, Ariel and Pollo are having a typical vacation - girls, alcohol, parties and etc. They meet three Russian girls in club Kylie, Irina and Monica. And all of them have some affair with each other, but...

Before that, on February 27, 2010 Chile was hit by 8.8 magnitude earthquake, which last the whole three minutes and caused a huge destruction in most part of country, becoming number 6 strongest earthquakes of all time. But the worst thing happened is what's called AFTERSHOCK - minor earthquakes and chaos throughout every city.

Nicolás & Eli tried to deliver the clear picture of people who survived first attack and those who was killed by someone but mother nature. Yes, by someone! Because after the shake, many of them became hunters on those who could not or did not want to hunt. Movie itself follows those specific 6 people who begin to find their way and eventually fall prey to a group of these inmates, carrying guns and ready to do a little raping.

Elli Roth (on the left) looks like Zachary Quinto so much!

I believe this story can be a serious material for a good film, just like The Impossible. On the contrary Aftershock is a cheap movie, with lots of blood and horrible dialogues. I guess director thought that more blood would make this film better. No, Sir! Because blood is not scary at all, it's disgusting. As usual, sound effects are scarier than pictures, or even more, emotional acting can the most terrifying thing you can imagine (just remembered Naomi Watts). If the writer wanted to show, how cruel human beings are, he kind of failed. 

The acting is below average. Nicolás Martínez (Pollo) and Andrea Osvárt (Monica) were a little shining parts of film, making their characters a little more expressional and emotional. But it did not help, mostly because of horrible film editing. My eyes were literally bleeding due to the messy pairing of scenes.

Since the last scene is the best part of the whole movie, I do not recommend to watch it.