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.

"The Squad"(El Paramo) is a Spanish film about a squad of soldiers who were deployed, lost, and trapped in uncharted territory where they find a creepy silent captive who refuses to cooperate. It's a dreadful film and is definitely atmospheric. It was a good scary movie. If you read any further you will reveal the whole plot of the movie, as I have included many spoilers in my review. So beware! **Contains Spoilers** they hide out at a compound thats old and rundown looking. They discover that anyone who was there is now mysteriously gone and there is blood splattered all over the walls. This movie was moving at an almost boring pace,that is, until one soldier discovers a hollow concrete wall with something behind it. The lieutenant orders his men to knock the wall down and what they find inside is truly terrifying. They find a filthy woman covered in dirt and wearing rags who has been bound at the hands. This woman does not talk, but yells loudly. There's something not right about her. She's very hard to look at, as he is terrifyingly creepy. As a viewer, I immediately knew she had bad motives. The soldiers question the woman about what had happened at that base. How did she get in the wall? What happened to the other men who were stationed there? Who is she? She still refuses to talk. Somehow, the woman escapes and that's when things get really sour and the men start to turn on each other. One of the soldiers finds a journal in the base that reveals a lot about what happened there, and it also reveals that the woman in the wall is actually a witch. While some of the men think she's an innocent old woman who needs help, others think she is a witch who has put a curse on the men and anyone who comes in contact with her will die. Ultimately, they decide that she needs to die and they set out through the fog to hunt her down. It does not go well. It is an overall good idea and a good movie but I wish the director did a little bit more with the supernatural idea and less with the "it's man's fault" idea

I caught this first time around on Netflix about a year ago and absolutely loved it. So much in fact I bought the film on DVD a couple of months ago (not sure if it has had a blu-ray release). I really can't recommend this film enough it is well written, well shot, well acted and has a brooding, claustrophobic quality about it that stands it head and shoulders above the large percentage of dross that currently boasts to be "the scariest film you will see this year, blah blah" I must also mention the score which adds impressively to the ominous atmosphere of this film overall. Impressive!

Having waited for this release an eternity, I was desperately clinging onto the slim chance that it may have been a worthwhile wait, especially given that in most cases, the wait is better than the end product.Not in this case however.El Paramo (The Squad) is a highly polished, very well produced, dark thriller from a country who in my experience aren't noted for successful movie exports.It puts many mega budget blockbusters to shame, filmed with such care and attention, that from the first scene until the last, I was hooked.No hammy acting or poor scripting dialogue in this - everything was way above and beyond anything I've seen for a long time, and belies the country of origin and also the relatively smallish budget. All actors delivered their lines with ease, their emotions throughout heightening the tension that the writer and director were aiming for, and the locations used were suitably spooky and dark.It's a difficult movie to classify - some will say horror, others thriller - to me this was more a psychological thriller more than anything else - a lot of unseen tension based on unseen forces.Going down that route is a very difficult skill to master as a writer and a director - keeping the audience glued to the screen whilst not showing anything of horror is a talent that abounds in the movie - to successfully manage to portray a story of the breakdown of a regimented society in a short space of time,whilst running with an underlying hint of the paranormal worked perfectly.It's a shame this won't get the release it deserves, however, I'd really like to see more from the writers and director as they've got a supreme talent that deserves more recognition.Top notch 8/10