KM31

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Rating 2¾


Written and directed by Rigoberto Castañeda

Starring Iliana Fox, Adrià Collado, Raúl Méndez, Carlos Aragon and Luisa Huertas


Agata (Iliana Fox) knocks over a small boy at the KM31 mark on a lonely stretch of road outside Mexico City. While she is desperately phoning her boyfriend Omar (Raúl Méndez) on her mobile from the scene she is struck by another vehicle, resulting in horrific injuries that leave her in a coma. She shares a kind of telepathic link with her twin sister Catalina (also Iliana Fox), who becomes convinced Agata is crying out for help from within her unconscious state.

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‘KM31’ is supposedly based on a true story, according to the credits at the beginning of the film. It is based on the Hispanic legend of “La Llorona”, or the “Weeping Woman”, who is said to haunt rivers and streams and lure children to their deaths below the water.

The film is clearly heavily influenced by Japanese horror films, but it also has a Latin flavour. It is not entirely successful and tends to meander a little bit at various points. The antipathy shared between Omar and Catalina’s boyfriend Nuño (the Spanish actor Adrià Collado) seems to come out of nowhere and perhaps could have been dealt with in a more focused way. This might have provided the film with a bit more dramatic substance and perhaps helped to give us a greater understanding of the relationship between the two sisters. Equally, the strange attraction of KM31 that keeps drawing them back to that stretch of road is not as forcible as perhaps it should be. That said, the film is very atmospheric and has a strong sense of foreboding. The minimal use of music is very effective and the climactic scenes are very satisfying.

The film is flawed and the familiarity of its obvious influences means that it is has a slightly clichéd feel. However, I am sucker for ghost stories and this was a rather enjoyable one.

‘KM31’ has a 71% fresh rating from seven reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, although little can be gleaned from this, given the small number of reviews collected. It was apparently a big box office hit in Mexico. Total Film magazine described it as, “One of Mexico’s all-time box office hits,” although no figures are quoted to back up this claim.

Review posted 7 March 2009



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