As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
Ouija boards and possession are nothing new in cinema. We've seen this story so many times, ever since William Friedkin's 'The Exocist' opened the door. Over the years, we've come to grow a bit tiresome of the tale, at least in the circles I run in. For the overall viewing public, these movies must be doing something right because Hollywood keeps pumping them out. Then, you have a film like 'Veronica'. Co-written and directed by the amazing Paco Plaza, the man gave me the '[REC]' franchise. A series of plague films that set my teeth on edge and redefined the genre, not unlike Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later'. Therefore, the bar was pretty high, even before I pushed 'Play' on my Netflix queue. A Spanish director that knows how to direct tension and terror, without ever really allowing the viewer the chance to get too comfortable. Because of all of this, I came into this film with high expectations despite the track record of similar films in the past. What's funny about film watching in this day and age, is the influence of social media. Long before you ever even begin to start watching something, you've been influenced by posts from other like minded viewers. I may be partially at fault here, as I'm a member of countless horror themed pages, but I try to avoid reading too much about new films, so as to not spoil anything for me. What this film was being buzzed about, was how truly scary it was. It was almost as though it was being heralded as the next 'Babadook'. A film that took someone else explaining why it was so significant to me, to really appreciate it for what it was. It seemed to be bleeding into my feed from everywhere. That just fueled my curiosity and caused me to put up some barriers, believing it couldn't be what they were saying it was. For the casual viewer, maybe, but for a long time horror fanatic and fanboy.... it takes a lot to impress me anymore. That's not to say that I don't love a ton of the new things that are coming out, but it's been awhile since I've seen something that truly terrified me. The world is just too scary as it is to have anything imagined put a sense of fright into me. Thus began my journey into the world of 'Veronica'.
This film tells the story of a 15 year old girl named Veronica. (played by the impressive for her age, Sandra Escacena). She's the matriarch of her family, not by choice, but by necessity. Her mother is working constantly to support her three other siblings, which forces Veronica to be the mother of the household. Getting them up for school, bathing them, feeding them and generally being their only caregiver. During the day of a solar eclipse, she and two friends, sneak into the basement of their school to use a Ouija board to hold a séance to contact Veronica's dead father. As the eclipse is told to be a potent time for the spiritual world to connect to ours, the girls mistakenly unleash a demon (or sorts) who begins to plague Veronica's everyday existence. She gains some help from the blind nun at the school, who warns her to protect her brother and sisters from the evil force, as her mother is completely oblivious to it all. Things begin to escalate and soon she realizes that the only way to undo the evil she has wrought, is to try and re-create the situation that allowed it into the world to begin with. What she wasn't expecting was what horrors might still be yet to come.
This film opens with a call to the police for help. As they arrive in Veronica's apartment, the look of terror on their face speaks volumes. We rewind to 3 days earlier and the story goes from there, telling us the events that led up to the beginning. Despite the worn out plot device, this film still feels fresh to me. I give a lot of credit to Paco's direction and his ability to make the actors working for him be believable in unbelievable situations. By setting the tone at the outset of the story, he creates a constant sense of dread throughout the piece. Even through we don't know where the story will go or what the fate of all of our characters are, you still can't help be feel trapped in a world that is beyond your control. Not unlike Veronica herself. In a way, the film is almost a meditation on becoming an adult and having the reality of being a grown up thrust upon you, when you're not ready. How overwhelming it feels to be in a position of authority, when you're just kid yourself. I don't know if that was his intention, but if you read between the lines of the story, it becomes very clear. That's where this film sets itself apart from all the other films after 'The Exorcist'. It's almost as if the evil is a metaphor for growing up. For Veronica's absentee father or for her being a late bloomer. Not yet a woman, but required to do the job of a full grown one. It didn't really hit me until late in the third act, but that's where this draws a lot of comparisons to 'The Babadook'. Using the “monster” of the film as a visual representation of the terrors of something else. Something far too real. Because of this, I give him a lot of praise and adoration. It also proves my point, once again, that horror is becoming smarter. It's not just about teens in the woods who want to do drugs, get drunk and have sex, only to be killed by the masked madman. It's now about telling a modern day parable. Wake up folks. This isn't your parents horror anymore. This is the stuff that wins Academy Awards. (I'm looking at you Jordan Peele). Is this at that level? No. But I have to give it credit, where credit is due.
While this was by no means a perfect film, it was above the flood line of so many other horror movies I've seen as of late. I'm not a fan of possession films or Ouija board films, but this ended up being so more than that. The direction, the art department, the script and especially the actors. They all brought their best to the table and lifted each other up in the overall piece. I don't believe this is the incredibly scary film that the internet would lead you to believe it to be. All that aside, I still really enjoyed it and feel that it's deserving of a 4 out of 5 star rating. There were few issues with the CGI and practical effects, but even that is forgivable. Actually, there was one moment that was pretty damn creepy. It's early on after Veronica has come home from the séance. She's turned off the television and you're watching her movements through the reflection on the TV. As she turns to walk away, you see a man/thing standing behind her and his head turns and watches her, as she walks away. He then turns and follows. It's very effective. Not a new plot device, but one that when utilized properly, can yield pretty unnerving results. This is currently streaming on Netflix and I recommend you give it a watch. Turn off all the lights, kick on the surround sound and cuddle up under your safest blanket. I think you'll have a good time and it will give you something to talk about around the water cooler in the morning.
If you like this, check out: 'The Exorcist' (1973), 'The Babadook' and 'The Last Exorcism'
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