The Incident (2014 film)

Did You Know?

• An incomplete version of the film screened at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
• Cine Canibal distributed the film in Mexico, and Shoreline Entertainment handled international distribution.

Plot

Small-time criminal Carlos finds his younger brother Oliver agitated at home. Rogue cop Marco emerges from hiding and arrests both brothers without a warrant. The brothers overpower Marco and flee down the apartment stairwell. Marco shoots Carlos in the leg during the chase, appearing surprised by his own action. A loud explosion sounds in the distance, and they discover the stairs are endless and loop in on themselves. Marco finds a miniature playing card in his wallet, tears it up, and ignores it. Oliver tends to Carlos, who bleeds to death the next day. Before dying, Carlos urges Oliver to appreciate the present. Marco becomes shaken when a vending machine restocks exactly as it was 24 hours earlier. Oliver disarms Marco and threatens to kill him; Marco claims he did not consciously choose to shoot Carlos, and they argue about metaphysics. Elsewhere, Sandra and her children Daniel and Camila prepare to visit her ex-husband. Her new husband Roberto is anxious about the trip. Daniel packs a deck of miniature playing cards like the one Marco found. They stop at a gas station, where Roberto gives Camila fruit juice, triggering an allergic reaction and asthma attack. Roberto finds a piece of green bamboo in his car and tosses it onto the road. He accidentally destroys Camila's inhaler, insisting it was fated. A loud explosion sounds, and Sandra asks Daniel for the backup inhaler, but he forgot it. Sandra insists Roberto turn around, but after repeatedly passing the same gas station, they realize the road endlessly repeats the same stretch.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 83% of 18 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6/10. Catherine Bray of Variety wrote that the film largely succeeds on a limited budget due to its production design, but the overly-explanatory ending brings it down. Shawn Macomber of Fangoria rated it 3/4 stars, noting it encourages viewers to consider their own lives, though the ending feels forced at times. Eric Ortiz Garcia of Screen Anarchy called it a great display of making an intriguing film with few elements.