Upon Entry

The claustrophobic and stifling social-horror that Upon Entry manages to weave with such a limited runtime and scope is quite the achievement; an absolute masterclass in minimalist filmmaking to maximum effect. An open critique of the dehumanising US border control, while also asking us to question how well we know the people we hold dear. Impressive, yet equally terrifying. Just how I like it.

[Filmin] This narrative exercise works especially effectively without it being necessary to deviate from what could be a real situation, although sometimes there are certain attitudes on the part of the agents that are not very credible. The absence of cell phones, water or food, the absolute isolation between four walls and the hostility reflect the indignation and the fear on the faces of Alberto Ammann and Bruna Cusí. We must be grateful that the directors always remain within the realistic environment, avoiding the easy tendency to be more metaphorical when the story does not need it.

The majority of this movie is people talking in a closed off interrogation room. I've rarely seen actors so good at acting stressed, I was stressed and on edge the whole time. It could totally go in the horror category just for that and the feeling of claustrophobia. A very invasive situation also.

It's a very realistic movie but there was a few times where the interrogation went in unrealistic and exaggerated directions (not that I would know anything about the usual questions in these situations)—it does however create great drama.

You can tell this was made on a minimal budget but yet the cinematography looks good to me. I went into this thinking it would be this predictable drama with a message I can see coming a mile away but it surprised me a few times with the direction the story goes in and the ultimate message of the movie.

In my case, finally, they told me that my name was too long.