The Dose ('La Dosis') comes from writer/director Martin Kraut. The 2020 Argentinian drama thriller film centers on Marcos (Carlos Portaluppi), a 20-year veteran nurse who works in an intensive care unit and releases patients of their misery by euthanizing them; from time to time. When Gabriel (Ignacio Rogers), — an angelic young male nurse begins in the same unit, Marcos faces competition and comparison in all aspects of his despondent life.
Eerie: There is no single comfortable moment in La Dosis, which may be one of its best features. Kraut wastes little time to convey a lack of comfort for the audience. La Dosis is driven mainly by a viscid performance from Carlos Portaluppi. Marcos never makes a scene feel too dangerous or too cuddly; somehow, he thrives in the grey area of an eerie atmosphere. Enter Gabriel. Ignacio Rogers battles with his co-star for every creepy moment possible. Marcos can look like a teddy bear, which has the quality to invite the audience in — Gabriel provides no such comfort. The combination of the two characters makes for an incredible blend. The themes in La Dosis are eerie enough to make your skin crawl, or at least your brain hurt in contemplation. Mercy versus murder; helplessness versus hope; Marcos versus Gabriel. There never seems to be a moment where the audience isn't faced with a decision with potentially fatal consequences.
Kraut, Top Notch: Martin Kraut has one other film credit under his belt, and it's a short film (Que miren). There's zero indication in The Dose that Kraut is an inexperienced filmmaker. Kraut flexes his muscles in the opening scene with a unique perspective on a routine incident in the ICU. From there, he makes incredible choices — from the colors to the lighting and score placement. These choices and their impact would have anyone convinced Kraut was a seasoned, award-winning filmmaker. Kraut’s script has characters speak when necessary and allows him opportunities to tell the story through exceptional cinematography (Gustavo Biazzi).
Third Act: The third act of La Dosis is good enough, but it could have been better. There's plenty of fear factor. Kraut gave himself multiple directions to take the film. Though the ultimate ending was satisfying, there is likely an alternate one that could have left the audience more stunned.
La Dosis paralyzes viewers with spectacular work from Martin Kraut.
Carlos Portaluppi and Ignacio Rogers bring the eerie culture of an ICU to light in this dark thriller.
