Nacho Vigalondo first burst onto the scene with the brilliant, Oscar-nominated short film 7:35 de la Mañana, which you can watch for free online. Needless to say, we have been fans ever since, and Nacho Vigalondo has not disappointed us. His high-concept sci-fi thriller Timecrimes achieved widespread critical acclaim, and his new voyeuristic thriller Open Windows opens in select theaters this weekend, and is already available on VOD.
In fact, we’re such big fans of Nacho Vigalondo at CraveOnline that we reached out to learn more about his creative process. Rather than do an old-fashioned interview (not that there’s anything wrong with those), we asked the filmmaker to provide us with some of the thrillers that inspired him to make Open Windows, and which otherwise made a huge impression upon him.
Related: Nacho Vigalondo, Elijah Wood & Sasha Grey Talk ‘Open Windows’
What follows are the six thrillers he came back with, an excellent mix of timeless classics, underrated films and even a surprise entry for a TV series. Check out these films and then be sure to watch Open Windows. Maybe you can see just how much they impacted Nacho Vigalondo.
Nacho Vigalondo’s Favorite Thrillers:
Oscar®-nominated writer-director Nacho Vigalondo (The ABCs of Death, Timecrimes, V/H/S Viral) creates an action-packed world of voyeurism and suspense in his thriller OPEN WINDOWS. Nick (Elijah Wood, Maniac, The Lord of the Rings) is excited to discover that he’s won a dinner date with his favorite actress, Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey, Would You Rather, The Girlfriend Experience). But when Jill refuses to honor the contest, her manager Chord (Neil Maskell, Wild Bill, Pusher) makes an offer he can’t refuse: the ability to view Jill secretly via computer. Nick begins watching the unknowing star on her webcam, not realizing that this decision will put both himself and Jill at risk as they enter a terrifying world of cat-and-mouse where nothing – and no one – are as they seem.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
Nacho Vigalondo's Favorite Thrillers
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Blow Out (1981)
"This is the movie I had in mind when I was writing Open Windows. The motivations of the character are not surprising, what´s special here are the devices the character uses in order to solve the mystery. Travolta is like De Palma in that both guys, the fictional character and the director, are doing the old stuff, but with new, intrincate, interesting tools." ~ Nacho Vigalondo
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Body Double (1984)
"This movie is one of the most influential films in my whole life as a filmmaker and you can trace this source in all three of my features. The main character is cheated in the exact same way the audience is cheated, in a way that can´t be more meta. Some people say it looks like a cheap erotic thriller. But, as Ricky Nelson said in Rio Bravo -- it´s so good, it doesn't need to look good." ~ Nacho Vigalondo
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Rear Window (1954)
"This classic is the ultimate movie about the point of view. Hitchcock's camera sticks to James Stewart point of view — it moves and zooms, but can´t cross the window, the same way the character can´t cross it either, the same way the audience can´t cross the screen. It's not just an expertly done thriller, but also a masterpiece about the nature of filmmaking." ~ Nacho Vigalondo
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Breakdown (1997)
"These is one of the movies I play in my flat when I want to impress someone who hasn't heard about it. Yes, it’s the old damsel-in-distress trope again, but the way the set pieces are arranged is like watching a diamond being sculpted. It´s pure geometrical perfection." ~ Nacho Vigalondo
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Twelve Monkeys (1995)
"I love how free this movie feels when it comes to the mixture of tragedy and comedy, serious stuff with goofy comedy. It´s pessimistic as hell, but also as funny as a Buster Keaton film. For me, it´s superior than Brazil. Brazil was a big allegory, pretty clear from the beginning. In 12 Monkeys you are as lost as the main character." ~ Nacho Vigalondo
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24 (2001-2014)
"I was one of those who enjoyed the first season of '24' as if it was a new kind of drug. Yes, it was pretty clear from the beginning that the real-time aspect was less than plausible, but who cares. Real time is not a promise to the audience, it's a narrative texture." ~ Nacho Vigalondo
