Hierro

The 2009 psychological thriller Hierro, directed by first time feature film director Gabe Ibanez, is being compared with The Orphanage (2007) and Guillermo del Toro’s gothic horror The Devils Backbone (2001) but falls a little short of fulfilling this high praise. Filmed on the smallest of volcanic Canary Islands it tells a strange story. Three years after Marias young son Diego mysteriously disappears while travelling to the holiday island of El Hierro she receives a phone call notifying her that the body of a young child has been discovered on the island. Her return to this sinister place is the beginning of a nightmarish experience for the still grieving young mother. The Spanish actress Elena Anaya, who also appears in Almodovar’s new movie due for release next year, gives a good portrayal of Maria but without being completely convincing.