Valley of the Dead is a horror-thriller film that is set during the Spanish civil war in 1938. The film is directed by Alberto de Toro and Javier Ruiz Caldera, and stars Miki Esparbe as Captain Jan Lozano, Aura Garrido as the Killer Nun, and Luis Callejo as the Fascist Soldier. The movie was released in 2020 and has a running time of 101 minutes.
The story begins with a wedding celebration that is disrupted by the arrival of Nazi German soldiers. The scene then shifts to Captain Jan Lozano (Miki Esparbe), who is a lawyer and a captain in the fifth brigade. He is sentenced to death for being accused of treason. In order to save Lozano, his uncle who is also a general, sends him on a mission to deliver an important letter to a dangerous area, which is behind enemy lines.
Lozano is accompanied by a young man who is also a prisoner, Named Decruz (Manel Llunel). On their way, they encounter a group of insurgents who try to capture them. Suddenly, an unusual event occurs where a dead pilot’s body comes to life and bites one of the insurgents, who then also turns into a zombie. They all try to escape, and when they reach the insurgent’s headquarters, they find that all their friends have been killed and have come back to life as zombies.
Lozano and Decruz continue their journey to escape from the zombies. Along the way, they meet a group of survivors who are hiding in a house. The group consists of a fascist soldier, a nun, and a Muslim man. They decide to band together and fight against the zombies. While taking a rest, Lozano realizes that the letter he was carrying is actually a map. He believes that the map shows the distribution of the zombies, and they are currently in an unsafe area. Using the map as a guide, the group sets off to find a cure for the virus.
During their journey, they lose one survivor after another as they are bitten by zombies. They finally reach a church where they meet a bride who tells them that her wedding was destroyed by the German soldiers, who spread an unusual powder that turns the dead into zombies. Lozano concludes that the zombies are the result of German experiments, and they must fight against them to survive.
When they reach their destination, the general does not allow Lozano to take his friends inside. They have barricaded the area to keep themselves safe from the zombies. Lozano and his friends manage to come up with a plan, and Decruz sacrifices himself by blowing up the barricade. Lozano and the survivors continue their quest for the cure.
One by one, the survivors are killed, leaving only Lozano and two other survivors. Even Lozano is bitten by a zombie, but the Killer Nun saves his life by cutting off his arm. When they realize that there is no cure to be found, Lozano and the Killer Nun decide to escape using a train wagon. They manage to reach the safe zone, but the zombie threat is not yet over.
The visual effects in Valley of the Dead are not only scary but also stunning. The film uses a color scheme that is typical of horror movies, which heightens the sense of fear. The film also has several jump-scare scenes, which will keep you on the edge of your seat.
In conclusion, Valley of the Dead is a fascinating horror-thriller film that fans of the genre should not miss. The filmmakers have done a great job of creating a realistic and terrifying world of zombies that will keep you engaged throughout the movie. The plot is well-crafted, the acting is top-notch, and the visual effects are impressive. If you are looking for a movie that will scare you and keep you entertained, Valley of the Dead is the perfect choice.
