"Luciferina" is directed by Gonzalo Calzada. The Argentinian horror stars Victoria Carreras, Gastón Cocchiarale, Agustin Daulte , and Sofía Del Tuffo. Religion, innocence, repressed sexuality and evil collide in what is widely being hailed as the country's first demonic possession thriller.
Natalia is a 19-year-old novice who reluctantly returns home to say goodbye to her dying father. But when she meets up with her sister and her friends, she decides instead to travel the jungle in search of a mystical plant. Instead of pleasure, they find a world of Black Masses, strange pregnancies, bloody deaths and perhaps, a sexually violent clash with the Devil himself.
The story is a complicated, layered character study folded in a supernatural, demonic nightmare. At times the movie stumbles through continuity with the many micro-plotlines bridging toward a climactic end. However it maintains enough controlled focus to allow the overall story arc to hold together. It's steady pace creates a slow-burn suspense.
The cinematography is a delicious blend of neo-Gothic settings and devilishly creepy occult imagery. Calzada focuses his energy on taking these characters and the audience through a cavalcade of haunting, eerie locations that create an epic and entertaining atmosphere. The practical and CGI effects are equally superb and the camera isn't shy about showing the visceral horrors.
Overall "Luciferina" is well worth watching, and for fans of occult horror it packs a punch. It blends Catholic concepts of evil with tribal mysticism and pagan mythology. It also creates one heck of a demonic horror show complete with a sexorcism that is totally metal. (3.5/5)
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