How'd the ending affect you?
I'm going through the IMDB top 250 making myself watch films I wouldn't ordinarily watch (I get tired of subtitles) and at first I recognized the excellent cinematography but just wasn't in the mood for this sort of movie.
But the movie grabbed my attention early on and by the end, I was completely engulfed.
[SPOILER WARNING]
By the end, I was shocked that I hadn't seen what was coming until Benjamin pulled his car over and waited on the edge of Morales' property. Then I thought, "Of course, he said that killing him was no good, it was life, he also bought this place in the middle of nowhere, he obviously hasn't moved on, but something is occupying his life, it's got to be Gomez!"
Then the last lines - I was just completely blown away when Gomez (who at this point seems almost repentant and contrite) says simply, begs simply and quietly, "tell him to at least talk to me"
And you realize what Morales has done to himself, he has made himself more of a monster than Gomez was (though you don't blame him) and Gomez is still a human being under all his grime, he was profoundly human, desperate for any human connection - "tell him to at least talk to me" - then he sees that Benjamin isn't going to do it and Gomez quietly walks back to his room, completely broken and accepting his fate of a hell made on earth, with man as warden or devil.
And you realize, this is what violent crimes do, they create countless victims. Morales was a good man, who deeply loved his wife and was turned into a monster.
The entire movie was in the eyes, half of the acting was done silently. Gomez pleads with Benjamin, not to be freed, he knows he doesn't deserve that - he just asks, "tell him to at least talk to me" - wow.
Irene was just incredible the entire time and most of her acting was with her eyes as well and in the end all that is spoken silently between her and Benjamin still hardly needs to be said just verbally verified. Then they simply choose life instead of regret or vengeance. (Though I do have trouble with Benjamin if he didn't turn Morales in or find a way to turn Gomez in to the authorities without harming Morales.)
The movie just blew me away, excellently done.
What hump?