The Untamed

This grotesque, simpleminded echo of the early and far more masterful horror-science films of David Cronenberg is a labored effort aimed at exploring human psychosexuality in the most primitive terms. A slightly alien young woman, Veronica (Simone Bucio), recruits men and women to be sexually pleasured by a mysterious creature that is in the care of an aging couple who live in the woods. After luring a doctor to his doom (sometimes the octopus-like monster is violent), Veronica taps the physician's sister, Alejandra (Ruth Ramos), who is mired in an unhappy marriage. The beat goes on in this fashion until all of the major characters have met some kind of fate while under the spell of the creature, but co-writer and director Amat Escalante fails to offer anything probing or particularly illuminating in this ghastly fable. The performances are strong and sometimes subtle (the most interesting aspect of the film are the hints of desperation in the monster's enigmatic caregivers), and the creature effects are certainly creepy. But this clearly ambitious film ultimately falls far short of the mark. Not recommended. (T. Keogh)