With Timecrimes and Extraterrestrial, Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo has proven to be one of the most original voices in modern sci-fi and horror (his short featured in The ABC’s of Death was also a highlight). Now you can check out the new trailer for his upcoming film Open Windows, which we reviewed for its SXSW premiere.

Open Windows stars Elijah Wood as an obsessed fan, who gets the chance to watch his favorite actress (played by Sasha Grey) via a secret webcam. When Jill Goddard is kidnapped, Nick becomes wrapped up in a fast-paced cat-and-mouse thriller.

The hook to Open Windows is how the film is shot, which can be seen in the trailer. The majority of the film is shown in real-time, using webcam and desktop interfaces in place of a traditional camera. Vigalondo has shown a smart sense of technology in his previous films, so rest assured that Open Windows will be more than just a gimmick and will use the technology in bold new ways.

Open Windows will be available on VOD on October 2 and in theaters on November 7.

Open Windows trailer

Rubber Soul

Rubber Soul reenacts two in-depth interviews of John Lennon that were conducted ten years apart from each other. No words of Lennon’s were altered during this reconstruction, though the film does jump between the two interviews, sometimes revealing contradictory statements made from the former Beatle. In one interview, Lennon states how he and Paul McCartney rarely ever wrote songs together, but in the other he recants by saying that two did in fact do writing together.

Most of the film consists of Lennon going on long rants about The Beatles. A few of the antidotes are noteworthy, however, the majority of these interviews end up being more of a meaningless ramble. Die-hard Lennon fans will obviously get the most out of Rubber Soul, but strictly Beatles fans may not gain much more insight than what is already widely known. At one point Lennon acknowledges that all artists are egotistical, the film reveals that he might be the biggest of both.

RATING: 5.8

Ping Pong Summer

It would be very inquisitive to see what the reactions are to Ping Pong Summer from people who are unfamiliar with the pop culture of 1980’s–since the film is filled to the brim with 80s slang, grainy and desaturated picture, cheesy crossfades, perms, bright neon colored clothing, and unnecessarily gigantic boomboxes. Those who know that a suicide drink is a mix of all the available flavors will have a totally rad time with the film, and those who never used a cassette tape will likely be very confused.

Ping Pong Summer is a family vacation movie where an awkward teenager travels with his middle-class family to a beach town where he instantly falls in love with a cute girl while making enemies with a rich preppy bully. The central conflict in the film centers on the game of ping pong, when a challenge is made between the sworn enemies to see who rightfully gets the territory of the table and winning the heart of the girl. Ping Pong Summer uses just about every cinematic 80s cliché in the book, purposely making the plotline and outcomes very familiar. It is an approach that ultimately works, even if it does lay it on a bit thick.

RATING: 7.4

Open Windows

By now people familiar with the work of director Nacho Vigalondo’s should expect an edgy high-concept story is in store, and that’s exactly what Open Windows delivers, and then some. The film hits the ground running from the start when an obsessed fanboy (Elijah Wood) wins a contest to have dinner with his fixation, actress Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey). While eagerly waiting in his hotel room to meet the actress, news that the contest has suddenly been cancelled is brought to his attention by a mysterious man (Neil Maskell). But the man has something for him far better than a dinner date, camera surveillance of her from every angle and complete access to her phone.

Undeniably impressive is the fact that almost the entire film is shown on a computer screen that simulates a webcam feed between all of the characters. While Vigalondo does take some liberties with how technology operates, the overall concept of how easy it is to be tracked and watched online is very real. If anything Open Windows is an exploitation of technology, specifically internet surveillance. This is an incredibly fast paced thriller that contains so many plot twists that a second or third viewing will not only be required, but also preferred. Some are saying Open Windows is a 21st century Rear Window, a comparison that I would agree is rather reasonable.

RATING: 8

It does not take long to notice that even the smallest of details in Nacho Vigalondo’s Timecrimes are not without purpose. As with most time-travel films, if you were to break everything down you are bound to find plot holes here and there. But over-thinking the logic ruins the entertainment the film provides and what would be the fun of that? The rapid pace of this independent science fiction film keeps one from dwelling very long on what transpires but the whole point of the film is not the outcome itself, but rather what caused the outcome to occur.

Timecrimes gets your pulse going right off the bat by starting out with a setup similar to that of a campy horror film. Héctor (Karra Elejalde) is minding his own business in his backyard as his wife (Candela Fernandez) moves some items into their new country home. Using a pair of binoculars, Héctor gazes around the woods that surround his home when much to his surprise he spots a woman undressing. When his wife heads to town for groceries he decides to get a closer look by heading into the woods. Just as he approaches the nude woman he is suddenly stabbed in the shoulder with a pair of scissors by a man with a pink bandaged head.

It is hard to describe in detail the rest of the film as it runs the risk of spoiling the experience for those who have not seen it. But without giving too much away I will say that Héctor does travel back in time and makes some mistakes, hence the title of the film. And the series of events that follows makes Timecrimes a film that is fascinating, bone-chilling, and confusing, all at the same time.

Just like other well-made time travel films the element of time paradoxes becomes the true enemy. Here they are explored with a butterfly-effect style that may make your head spin. However, Vigalondo does a good job of feeding answers to the audience, while wisely holding a couple cards up his sleeve. Because many of the scenes are re-shown throughout the film, it becomes less about what is happening and more about why it is happening. The pacing of the film is important as it does not allow much time, pun intended, to ask why certain things are happening until after the fact.

Vigalondo handles the intricate time-traveling details rather well while at the same time carefully constructing a puzzle that he eventually reveals. Timecrimes makes it seem like you are one step ahead, but in reality that is exactly what the film wants you to think before pulling the rug beneath your feet. As equality impressive as the brilliant storyline is the range of mixed reactions the film conjures up. The opening scenes the film hooks you with intrigue, followed closely by heart-pounding terror and by the end of the film you will have laughed, been confused, but most importantly, engaged the whole way through. That kind of feat is rarely achieved by films with budgets tenfold that of this indie sci-fi thriller.

First of all let’s get something straight, Extraterrestrial does not have any aliens in it. In fact, the only real science fiction in the film is used to keep the characters locked in an apartment from fear of alien invasion. From there the Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo turns the film into a dark romantic comedy that focuses on human relationships and human flaws.

Extraterrestrial begins with the lead character Julio (Julián Villagrán) waking up in an unfamiliar bed. He has no idea where he is but a bra on the floor lets him know that he got lucky after a night of heavy drinking. Soon he finds out that the apartment belongs to a beautiful woman named Julia (Michelle Jenner) as the two shared those awkward-next-morning moments that are typically accompanied by hangovers. With nearly identical names maybe Julio and Julia are meant to be?

As Julio is about to leave her place he notices that his cell phone has no coverage and asks her if he could use her cell phone. Sure enough, Julia’s cell phone lacks reception as well. Being without cell phone reception and internet access is pretty much a crisis in of itself in our modern world. Then he begins to notice how empty the streets are in the busy city, not even a single soul is walking about.

Using the oldest form of technology Julia owned, a radio, the two hear an emergency broadcast telling everyone to stay indoors. Julio glances out the window towards the sky to see a huge alien ship covering the city. Luckily, Julio is an industrial designer so he is able to estimate that the ship is probably around 4 miles wide. The two do what they are told and remain indoors. Being that Julio finds Julia attractive, he has no problem obeying the request.

As night falls Julia is getting tired so she goes to sleep in her room. It appears as if Julio is stuck on the couch in the living room which is an ironic turn of events from the previous night. It is funny how when they were both drunk and did not really know each other they were alright to sleep together but now it is completely opposite. Julio does not seem to mind much because he is not sleepy anyways.

Things begin to get real interesting the next morning and not because of any alien attacks. Julia’s boyfriend Carlos (Raul Cimas) returns home so the two make up a story that Julio blacked out and Julia brought him in to save him. Carlos is a fairly laid back kind of guy, accepts the story and insists that he stays for his own protection.

As if a love triangle was not enough drama for one apartment, the creepy stalker neighbor Angel (Carlos Areces) is invited over, turning it into a love square. I am not exactly sure what the reason is that Angel is invited over, since Carlos despises him because he knows he has a thing for Julia. Angel is an important player in this game though because he knows the secret Julio and Julia are keeping from Carols.

It sure sounds like a synopsis of a soap opera but Extraterrestrial is more of a dark romantic comedy than anything else. The science fiction elements disappeared as quickly as it entered and you start to see what the film is really about, the study of human relationships and how we react in critical and awkward situations. The film is also about how one lie has a snowball effect to more and more lies and lies within lies.

Vigalondo took what could have been a sci-fi heavy story and turned it into a rather simple yet entertaining film about human relationships. Not only that but Vigalondo got us to side with each of the characters in the film despite each one have their own flaws. I went into Extraterrestrial not knowing much about the film and it was completely not what I expected. I believe the film benefited a lot from that.