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Review

Oddly unsettling and deliberately off-kilter, this Spanish thriller is a treat for lovers of Edgar Allan Poe and the subtle, earlier films of Alfred Hitchcock. Cowriter Àlex Brendemühl stars as Hans, a German man who arrives in a small town on the island of Majorca to work as a handyman at a local mansion. He gets directions to the house from local character Miquelet, one of several villagers who never seem to recognize Hans when they see him. When he arrives, his new employer tells him that the last fellow to hold his position was also named Hans, and that he left under a dark cloud. Nothing much is said of the previous Hans, and there are unsettling questions with strange characters, suspicious glances and an almost surreal feel to the mysteries enveloping the town and Hans. The new Hans is an introvert — a timid man faced with constant reminders of his predecessor and what he may or may not have done. Hans is innocent, but as he tries to figure out what's happening he seems to appear guilty of something. First-time director Rafa Cortés does a superb job of giving the sunny beach town a menacing aura. But nothing compares to the subtle genius behind the film, Brendemühl, whose Hans is a character we've not seen before — or have we? (Spanish, German and Majorcan with English subtitles)

 -- Scott Cranin