Thesis

R

1996

2h 5m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

List

83%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Spanish film student (Ana Torrent) finds a videotape showing the torture and murder of a missing coed.

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Jason Newman

Rolling Stone

(The) director Alejandro Amenábar balances actual, terrifying visuals with Hitchcockian red herrings for one of the best debut films in years. The technology might be quaint, but the fear remains resonant.

Sep 10, 2019

Full Review

Scott Tobias

AV Club

Amenábar dodges the moral hysteria and hypocritical prurience that infected Joel Schumacher's 8mm three years later, and his cinephilia suffuses the film in mostly exciting ways.

Sep 10, 2019

Full Review

Joe Leydon

Variety

Despite some whopping improbabilities - would snuff movie producers really hide their master tapes in a university storage room? -"Thesis" generates genuine tension

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Imran Khan

PopMatters

Tesis won't exactly knock the socks off of viewers; However, it is exceptionally acted, with all actors delivering solid performances and fully submitting to the demands of some of the more arduous action sequences.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 10, 2019

Full Review

Sergio Benítez

Espinof

A film that is terrifying when you want, that knows how to raise the production of adrenaline in the respectable with ease. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 10, 2019

Full Review

Joseph Proimakis

Movies for the Masses

mia filodoksi apopeira sholioy sti bia toy mesoy poy ypiretei [o skino8etis], ton tropo poy ayti hrisimopoieitai os opioyho skeyasma, kai etsi gia ton habale, ton symbolismo toy ergaleioy poy koybalaei ston omo toy (os ergaleio apokalypsis tis alitheias,

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 14, 2007

Full Review

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Dhanu K

Alejandro Amenábar's directorial debut, Thesis, is a rare gem that proves to be an unsettling, nerve-wracking, clever thriller that is handled with so much passion and care.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/02/22

Full Review

dustin d

Tesis is a creepy suspense film that will keep you guessing without insulting your intelligence.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Si bien se construye en función de los clásicos clichés del genero de horror (¿porqué no van a la policía?), y el mensaje final es mucho más brutal en el clásico Funny Games de Haneke, la película se logra sostener por las buenas actuaciones, sobre todo la de Fele Martinez.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Late R

Because of a low budget, visually, it's a little on the bland side, but Alejandro Amenábar doesn't let that stop him from delivering a thriller/horror film with a strong, tense atmosphere and some superb performances, both of which are key to its success. Despite a couple of plot points that stand out as questionable, it's mostly well-written, always keeping you guessing by throwing you for a loop more than once in smart ways – Amenábar chooses well how much to reveal and when, as well as using the tone to further confuse his audience and increase the dread. Finally, ‘Thesis' is somewhat of a thesis itself positing that we, as humans, are inherently and perversely attracted to violence.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/30/21

Full Review

Audience Member

The viewers' perception of violence can be dangerous and this director is not afraid to put'' freaks'' as the main heroes that's why this movie is as interesting as entertaining. The dialogues, the story, and its theory about the film industry bring out my deepest fascination.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

david l

With great performances, many superb twists and turns, and such a fascinating, complex protagonist, Tesis is a horror thriller that is above all else incredibly suspenseful and at times even genuinely disturbing. It treats its subject matter with a lot of sophistication while the psychosexual aspect is also quite memorable. It's a chilling genre film that benefits from Amenabar's outstanding direction, especially commendable for a debut.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Alejandro Amenábar

Director

Ana Torrent

Angela

Fele Martínez

Chema

Eduardo Noriega

Bosco

Rosa Campillo

Yolanda

Miguel Picazo

Figueroa

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Synopsis

A Spanish film student (Ana Torrent) finds a videotape showing the torture and murder of a missing coed.

Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Screenwriter: Alejandro Amenábar
Production Co: Las Producciones del Escorpión S.L., Sogepaq
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: Spanish (Spain)
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 20, 2016
Runtime: 2h 5m
Sound Mix: Dolby

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