Thesis

Thesis is less depressing and formalistically simpler than Joel Schumacher’s 8MM, but it has a more interesting screenplay. (11/09/2003)

Good thing there was no television in the 19th century and Sherlock Holmes couldn't watch this, otherwise, he would have abandoned his profession with shame and would have made a living playing the violin. This story must be a tough nut to crack for anyone who likes to guess whether the murderer is a goat or a gardener or someone else. A brilliant script, with lots of twists and turns that makes you think many times that "this one" is the culprit, only to be forced to dismiss the idea. What's more, Amenábar is a skilled director, he can conjure up a good dose of tension even during a simple surveillance in a school corridor full of people. So, overall, four stars, and I'll throw one on top for the few beautifully ironic seconds with the warning credits at the very end of the film. (03/08/2004)

The 90s produced lots of dark thrillers and this Spanish representative is a great example of the good ones. It has many very tense scenes, with some of them being almost horror. The direction is nothing great – it’s rather simple formally speaking – what’s above-par is the script, which is quite unpredictable (during the story, pretty much all the characters are suspects) and contributes to the general atmosphere. I wholeheartedly recommend Thesis, it’s not the best ever, but it’s certainly a very good thriller. 85% (05/27/2008)

Who said only Americans know how to make great thrillers? Moreover, like Seven, this film is a small parable (though not nearly as complex) – a parable of modern man's relationship to violence. The film's only weakness is the slightly predictable and a long-lasting opening part, but once the plot unravels, there's a real feast of tension and fear. The ending is one of the best I have seen, and in it I saw our entire society and its relationship to so-called media ethics. That which we condemn others to high sentences for completely fascinates us. Because when it's viewed by the eye of the camera, it ceases to be real and becomes an event. Which, unfortunately, will no longer apply if you find yourself on the wrong side of the camera. And that's actually the basic principle of the film Thesis... (01/26/2004)

Towards the end I found the game a bit too long for the viewer, as there just couldn't be too many people who were actually responsible for everything, and I also didn't like how it ended. Indeed, it could have done with a different ending, but it must be admitted that Amenábar made a very dark and at times very uncomfortable ride, but one that doesn't really go very far in the snuff genre. (03/15/2018)

A first-rate edgy thriller that, while not as formally sophisticated as the thematically very similar 8MM, offers a very sophisticated story, and all the formal austerity here serves more for achieving the most authentic experience. Amenábar has cleverly gambled on a civil approach for his first feature film and not drastically overwrought direction (though the match scene was flawless), resulting in an extremely unsettling thriller that is relatively unpredictable and very suspenseful right up to the very end. Within the broader concept of the genre, this is a very strong entry indeed. (02/09/2014)