Saw this at the Imagine film festival 2023 in Amsterdam. The start was not promising. The flickering light effects and the ghostly apparitions were far from original, looking like downtrodden cliches. Worse, in the first half one cannot help wondering whether these phenomena would ever lead to something substantial and original. And why bring in a heavily pregnant woman as main protagonist, knowing that every man will dismiss her sightings, saying these are due to hormones and hence not to be taken seriously.
On the other hand, the sound effects made serious attempts several times to emphasize that something very creepy was going on, or was about to happen very soon. Most of the times I missed the reason why, maybe being trained too much to ignore flickering lights and eerie sounds, deeming it weak techniques of the horror genre. In retrospect, I should have trusted the light and sound effects, and have allowed me to move along with the atmosphere that was building up.
Trust me, it all comes together in due course. Try to guess, if you want, who can really be trusted: the neighbor, or Maria's friend, or her father-in-law, or even her husband?? We won't know until the very end. Is there even a conspiracy going on, involving some or maybe all of them?? Demons out of the past find means to reach out and get their accomplices in the world of today.
All in all, the story could have started stronger, if only to avert my initial impression that flickering lights and sudden ghostly appearances were to become the main course. What Maria discovers in the cellar did not enough to steer me in the direction that she had just found something very significant there. Ultimately, her findings became the pillar of the unexpected plot twists ahead, with several even so unexpected turns of events. And that is where this movie is all about. Family history as of centuries ago reaches out into the current time, wanting its revenge. I scored 5/5 for the audience award when leaving the venue.
On the other hand, the sound effects made serious attempts several times to emphasize that something very creepy was going on, or was about to happen very soon. Most of the times I missed the reason why, maybe being trained too much to ignore flickering lights and eerie sounds, deeming it weak techniques of the horror genre. In retrospect, I should have trusted the light and sound effects, and have allowed me to move along with the atmosphere that was building up.
Trust me, it all comes together in due course. Try to guess, if you want, who can really be trusted: the neighbor, or Maria's friend, or her father-in-law, or even her husband?? We won't know until the very end. Is there even a conspiracy going on, involving some or maybe all of them?? Demons out of the past find means to reach out and get their accomplices in the world of today.
All in all, the story could have started stronger, if only to avert my initial impression that flickering lights and sudden ghostly appearances were to become the main course. What Maria discovers in the cellar did not enough to steer me in the direction that she had just found something very significant there. Ultimately, her findings became the pillar of the unexpected plot twists ahead, with several even so unexpected turns of events. And that is where this movie is all about. Family history as of centuries ago reaches out into the current time, wanting its revenge. I scored 5/5 for the audience award when leaving the venue.