Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Carlos Enrique Taboada
Starring: Ana Patricia Rojo, Elsa Maria Gutierrez, various adults whose faces are never seen; I explain in the review
From: IMCINE/STPC
A cult favorite I was happy to see after all these years. It probably was first on the Rupert Pupkin Speaks blog (that’s how long ago it was) where I first discovered this Mexican horror film from unheralded director Carlos Enrique Taboada. I’ve heard good things without ever knowing much more than “two young girls meet at a private school and one convinces the other she’s a witch.”
That is the plot, but there is more: Flavia moves to a new town, and at her new school meets Veronica, i.e. the girl who says she’s a witch. Veronica is from a dysfunctional family who tells her stories of various creatures. The frightening moments are how Veronica is able to not only control her new friend via manipulation, but how Flavia’s life becomes a nightmare. To echo what others have proclaimed, the vibe totally feels like a 70’s movie than something from the 1980’s.
How the movie was shot needs to be addressed. The camera is typically at the level of the two girls and except for rare occasions, the faces of the adults are never shown. Much of the film is focused on just our duo; thank heavens then that Ana Patricia Rojo & Elsa Maria Gutierrez delivered (or at least were directed well) with their performances. IMO, I usually was fine with the methodical pace of this film as the viewer experiences the relationship and how it changes due to Veronica’s toxic behavior. However, even I at a time or two thought it started to drag.
That said, the viewer needs to stick with the movie to the end. At least for me, the conclusion made the journey worthwhile. It’s a film with no gore or jump scares. To reiterate, the frightening moments came from a peculiar little girl’s behavior but that makes this movie stand out even among the other horror I check out during Spooky Season.
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