El instinto – FrightFest 2025 Movie Review
First Reaction – El instinto takes us down a twisted journey through the human condition.
Director: Juan Albarracin
Writer: Juan Albarracin (Screenplay)
Cast
- Javier Pereira
- Rocio Bernal
- Fernando Cayo (The Orphanage)
- Silvia Conesa
- Nicolas Edo
- Eva Llorach (Quien te cantara)
Plot: A home invasion thriller starring a dog trainer trying to modify a human’s brain.
Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: El instinto starts when Abel (Pereira) struggles to cope after his dog is killed. His partner Sonia (Llorach) plans to see them move and start a new life. However, Abel is reluctant, until their dog training neighbour Jose (Cayo) offers assistants to overcome his problems.
Jose moves in with the family and begins to help train Abel to accept change. However, it presents a much darker and twisted story behind his motivation.
Verdict on El instinto
Recap
The movie follows a stubborn man who doesn’t want to leave his home with his partner. His dog gets killed in accident and his neighbour offers to help him recover from his problems. However, he uses a unique training program designed for dogs, forcing the man through a series of tests.
Best Parts
This highlights the human condition which takes over when stresses cause problems in life. It shows how people struggle to deal with bad moments and are willing to try different methods for a cure. However, things hit a different level of tension when the truth gets revealed. The performances are good from the leading pair who are involved in nearly every scene with their interactions.
Worst Parts
It does take a while to get going and does seem to hold too much back too early. We get something much more surprising in the final act, which we have waited bit too long for.
Final Thoughts – El instinto takes a very twisted path to fixing people’s problems.
