The Dead Speak: Old Science, New Dead Eyes

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white mysteries where the technology feels like it was built out of spare radio parts and sheer willpower, then yes, sit down and watch this. If you need your thrillers to have high-speed chases or modern pacing, skip it. You will probably hate how long people just stand around talking in rooms, but honestly, that’s half the charm.

The whole premise is just wild. A medical student and his professor decide that the best way to solve a homicide is to literally stare into a dead guy’s eyeballs using a giant, clunky machine. It feels a bit like watching a weird cousin of The Stolen Treaty where the stakes are somehow both very high and very dusty.

Notes from the dark

• The machine itself looks like someone glued a telescope to a kitchen toaster. I love it.
• The lighting in the lab is perpetually dim, like they’re trying to save on the electric bill while hunting ghosts.
• There is a moment where the medical student looks through the lens and honestly, I thought he was going to see a reflection of the camera crew.
• The dialogue moves at the speed of a snail on a rainy day. It's great if you’re tired, maybe not if you’ve had too much caffeine.

There's this one reaction shot near the middle that lingers for so long I started wondering if the actor just forgot to blink. It’s not necessarily deep, but it’s unsettling in a way that feels unintentional. The movie definitely isn't trying to be a profound meditation on death. It's just a procedural that decided, 'Hey, let’s use science to talk to the dead.'

I couldn't help but compare the vibe to stuff like A Fatal Lie. There’s that same sense of a world that feels very contained, almost claustrophobic. You spend so much time in these offices and labs that when they finally step outside, the sun looks like it’s being overexposed on purpose.

Some of the acting is... well, it’s theatrical. People say their lines like they are reading them off a wall behind the camera. But then Manuel Buendía does this one bit where he wipes his forehead and he looks genuinely stressed. It’s a small detail, but it grounded the whole thing for a second.

I’m not saying this is a lost masterpiece. It’s just a weird, grumpy little movie that probably didn't think anyone would be watching it eighty years later. Sometimes, that’s exactly the kind of movie you need on a Tuesday night. Just don't expect the science to make sense. It doesn't even try.

Also, did the professor ever actually get paid for this? They never mention the money. It’s just science for the sake of science and catching bad guys, I guess. 🕵️‍♂️