Julia’s Eyes (2010)

Director Guillem Morales

Produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by newcomer Guillem Morales, Julia's Eyes is both an impeccably constructed modern drama and a bone-chilling thriller. Julia (The Orphanage's Belen Rueda) has a degenerative disease that will eventually leave her blind. Her twin sister, Sarah, struggles with the same illness until she is found hanging in the family basement. Sarah's mysterious neighbours accept that she committed suicide, but Julia remains unconvinced. A series of clues send her on a path to determine the true cause of her sister's death. Morales's clever use of the horror genre to show a woman coming to terms with the onset of blindness is both thoughtful and imaginative. Through stunning camerawork, riveting performances and an incredibly suspenseful atmosphere, the audience is placed within Julia's troubling world. This is a sensational horror-thriller that will have audiences jumping out of their seats in fright. - 14th Spanish Film Festival New Zealand