The Similars is the second feature
length film from Mexican writer/director Isaac Ezban. The movie takes
place on October 2, 1968 and it is a dark and very stormy night. It's
a torrential downpour and eight strangers find themselves waiting in
a remote bus station trying to get to to Mexico City. With the buses
delayed due to the weather and no taxis willing to make the long
drive to the station, the group struggles to find a way out of the
bus station. Amidst their struggle and frustration being stranded at
the station, they all start experiencing a strange phenomenon.
To say more of the plot would be
entering spoiler territory and as with Ezban's 2014 feature The
Incident, the less you know going in, the better. The Similars is
high-concept storytelling at it's best; it takes a simple plot and
runs with it while never losing sight of what it is trying to
accomplish. Ezban makes The Similars work so well because after the
initial set up, the plot is driven forward by the characters and
every scene further develops the story. It was a completely
mysterious and joyful experience watching this film because once the
“strange phenomenon” starts to take place I had no idea where it
would end up and I was mesmerized right through the end credits! The
Similars is a throwback homage to old Twilight Zone episodes and
Ezban pays those classic stories the best kind of compliment by
bluntly allowing their influence on him to shine through without
making it seem like he was ripping them off or simply mimicking them.
He is the kind of filmmaker who knows his influences well and wants
to celebrate them but has his own strong vision that makes his work
seem fresh and exciting.
The Similars is a special film that had
me feeling like a kid at a Saturday matinee. With the very faded
color scheme that gave the film an aged, black and white look mixing
with the crispness of the picture, The Similars felt like a strange
yet familiar dream world. The excellent cast of actors elevate the
dream world aesthetic of the film by portraying real people
experiencing a hellish nightmare even as the direction hits upon
tones of humor and outrageousness. The audience I saw this with
laughed several times at genuinely funny (if not a bit disturbing)
scenes. The tone of the film is superbly blended as The Similars
pushes itself further into Twilight Zone territory by putting the
audience in an uncomfortable and unimaginable and terrifying scenario
and allowing their only means of release be either a gasp or a laugh.
It's brilliant storytelling, and I can't wait to watch it again!
The Similars is a film that almost
requires you to know as little as possible before you see it. Part of
the pure enjoyment is watching the characters deal with this
nightmare scenario and watching the events unfold right up to its
smart and expertly tied together climax. Isaac Ezban has set the bar
very high for himself, and I am very excited to see what he does
next.
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