HIERRO

Following on from a pre-credits sequence that is inevitably destined to prove integral to the plot, we hone in on demure single parent Maria (Elena Anaya) and her young son Diego (Kaiet Rodriguez).

They board a ferry and embark on a trip to the island of Hierro. Maria is very careful to warn Diego about the dangers of the sea. So when he goes missing, she's certain he hasn't fallen overboard.

Desperately trying to search each car as it exits the ferry, Maria's search proves to be fruitless and Diego is reported to the authorities as missing. Although rather unsympathetic towards the grieving mother, the police do their duties and instigate a search for the missing lad.

In the meantime, Maria returns to mainland Spain with a newly acquired phobia of water. At least she has sister Laura (Bea Segura) to comfort her when, some time later, she's summoned back to Hierro to identify a body that matches Diego's description.

Upon inspecting the child's body in the police morgue, Maria is adamant that it is not Diego. This surprises the cops, who insist on a DNA test just to be sure. Unfortunately for Maria, this requires the presence of a judge - and he won't reach the island for another three days.

So, distraught Maria and her obliging sister are housed in a quiet hotel near the coast on Hierro where they agree to wait until the judge arrives and the necessary tests can be taken.

In the meantime, Maria becomes increasingly haunted by sounds and images around the island suggesting that her little boy is in actual fact still alive.

HIERRO draws early comparisons to THE ORPHANAGE and VINYAN. It's not as fantastical as the former, or as dark as the latter. It is, instead, a proficient study of psychological breakdown caused by loss.

Anaya is impressive in the lead role as the obsessed mother. She provides the heart to a deliberately bleak-looking film, imbued with an almost painful sense of yearning throughout. Elsewhere, the supporting cast are sufficiently adept enough to keep the drama boiling. Unfortunately Javier Gullon's screenplay has little for them to play with, save for a twist which - I admit - I misjudged.

The film looks awfully good, Alejandro Martinez's widescreen cinematography being a highpoint. Actually filmed on location on the island of Hierro, the settings become characters in themselves, thanks to some meticulous watered-down colour schemes and intelligent editing.

HIERRO looks magnificent. And Gabe Inanez directs with a controlled, human outlook on events. Perhaps a little too much so - there is an austerity to the unfurling action that feels too restrained at times. Tension never mounts, because Inanez is too focused on making a "serious" film. But with a relatively slight plot that merely flirts with the thriller genre and a relatively short running time (85 minutes), he's not going anywhere fast in that direction.

This UK DVD from Elevation presents HIERRO uncut in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, enhanced for 16x9 TV sets. It's a remarkable offering, providing plenty of fine detail and lovely contrasts despite the stylised photography that gives the film a naturally washed-out look.

Spanish audio is presented in 2.0 and 5.1 mixes. Both are good, well-balanced affairs. The latter is bolstered in the back channels when it comes to Zacarias M de la Riva's clichéd but effective score. Optional English subtitles are also at the ready.

An animated main menu page plays on the underwater angle, as does the animated scene-selection page which allows access to the main feature via 12 chapters.

The only extra on the disc that relates to the film is an 80-second trailer that avoids the need for subtitles by instead offering a breathless, music-driven montage of high-speed clips from the film.

The disc is defaulted to open with trailers for THE ORPHANAGE, KISSES and TIMECRIMES.

HIERRO is not likely to make its way into the pantheons of great Spanish horror films of this century - it lacks the punch of [REC] or KILLING WORDS, the significance of THE OTHERS or THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, the emotional wallop of THE ORPHANAGE.

But it's a characteristically stylish film and, beyond the stunning aesthetics, preys on the highly emotive subject of missing kids - there can be no denying that Maria's foray into a European caravan club in the belief that her child has been abducted and is being held there, is painfully close to what the British press have previously reported on the Madeline McCann case.

It's worth a look, and I'd be interested to see what Inanez (a former animator for Alex De La Iglesia, having worked on his THE DAY OF THE BEAST and PERDITA DURANGO) has in store for us next.

Review by Stu Willis