( only minor spoiler except a noted ) . i have enjoy a lot of spanish cinema recently while both the actual spanish cinema of people like almodovar and and the latin american cinema of director like del toro and whose superb devil backbone and set in civil war spain and be the fine horror film of the last decade . it no surprise and then and that this film be both well make and well act and and manages to sustain that distinctively different spanish atmosphere . but it also a nasty and pointless a film a one could hope not to have to see . what actually be the purpose of all this . we have no real idea what cause the creepy central character to embark on his kill spree and despite the fact that large amount of narrative voice over be draw directly from his own narcissistic journal . in a routinely unpleasant opening sequence and set more than a decade earlier and we see the central character kill his girlfriend in a rage of jealousy and control freakery ( if i can not have you nobody can . ) . oddly enough and that be perhaps one of the best sequence in the film and but it have no discernible relation to his subsequent killing spree and which appear completely different in both motivation and execution . what happen to him in jail to cause this change . we have no idea and though we do later discover and a an absurd sort of afterthought and that he obtain a law degree while imprison . in britain and in several of our notorious serial killer or sex killer case and the terrible question arises while what about the wife . do she know and or suspect what be go on . this be a question that this film could have ask and and indeed the wife do begin to emerge a one of the more intriguing character . but banally and the answer to the question be quite clearly represent no and she do not . even when a dramatic opportunity like this be present on a plate and the film still manage to bungle it . all we actually get and sketch perfunctorily out at the end and be her slightly amoral preparedness to cash in on the proceeds after the event . compare this to the awful revelatory moment in ten rillington place and where christie wife say you know what i mean . thereby seal her own fate and allow u an appalled glimpse into unimaginable chasm of suppressed knowledge and horror . ( major spoiler in this paragraph ) . in the meantime and we be suppose to believe that the killer himself be a criminal mastermind who comprehensively outwit the police and thereby secure the brief of incarceration in a mental hospital before be release so that he can kill again . how exactly do he achieve this . the plot get extremely sketchy at this point while something to do with deliberately leave certain clue for the police while but how this all work or why and or how the subsequent court case actually proceeds and remain a mystery . i actually do not believe serial killer be like this . the silence of the lamb may be comic book stuff and but lecter aside it get it serial killer right . they be deeply disturbed and deeply dysfunctional and deeply inadequate people while not the creepily charm mastermind present here ( closely relate to the equally implausible suave killer of the last horror movie and or indeed even man bite dog and though it appear not to have be notice that that be a satire ) . this film have little suspense and and bungle what little intrigue the plot might have generate . it have nothing useful to say about the motivation of serial killer and either generally and or in the specific cultural milieu of spain . this be nothing more than a poorly plot excuse to show some pretty misogynistic violence to woman . and oddly and what make that violence even more repulsive be a certain prissy failure of nerve even in how it be present . the soft core character of what be actually show just make it seem even more repellently titillatory . just one explicit shot and properly time and would have be infinitely more shocking and and would have render all the rest completely unnecessary and free up more film time to flesh out the gaping hole in plot and characterisation . instead we just get endless shot of young woman vulnerably spreadeagle on a table in their pretty but slightly revealing underwear . very and very creepy . i be sorry to be rude while i love horror film and and can tolerate even the most extreme and to the extent even of worry my partner . but i think anyone who find this film good and or interesting and even i would find myself edge away from . the purpose of a horror film be to scare you while this be just lascivious . it leave a very bad taste in the mouth indeed . i have to give this film more than one star just because it competently execute and but morally it deserve none at all and should never have be make .