Supernatural horror is my bag! I was super excited to lay my eyes on Rosario at the Overlook Film Festival during one of the late-night slots. The film follows a successful woman, Rosario (Emeraude Toubia), who has to spend the night watching her grandmother’s corpse until the ambulance comes. Of course, things get supernatural as the night continues, and we discover the root of the malevolent force plaguing her. Rosario rides on a great atmosphere and immersive sound design that will make you suspicious of the darkness around you. The scares are inventive, but the pacing makes the movie occasionally lose steam. There are also a few tropes I could do without. However, I recommend giving Rosario a watch, particularly late at night in the dark. Let’s dig into the deets.
Off Rip
We began the movie at Rosario’s first communion and get a slice of her childhood that is so vivid I felt like I was in the kitchen with the family. However, we then fast-forward to Rosario’s present day luxury New York apartment. We follow her routine and see the wealth that surrounds her. She has a grand view of the city and a driver to get her around (a HUGE luxury in New York). Rosario even has her own office and assistant. Along the way, her grandmother, Griselda, calls her multiple times. When Rosario’s stock begins going downhill, a sudden change in the weather forecast brings her luck. However, it also brought her doom by trapping her later in the film. After learning about the death of her grandmother, she goes to watch the body.
The grandmother’s apartment building looks like it is straight out of a Gothic horror movie. It’s the kind of place that creaks and groans with every step. The walls are damaged, the corners are dark, and everything has a sheet of dust on it. There’s even a suspicious neighbor, Joe, played by David Dastmalchian. This is the perfect place for a haunting. We spend most of the movie focused on Griselda’s apartment, which matches the condition of the rest of the building. The darkness, accompanied by the groans and whispers baked into the sound design, cranks up the atmosphere.
It Is That Deep
Rosario begins experiencing a presence within a few minutes. I love that she initially makes a realistic choice, but finds no escape from the entity. As she frantically searches the apartment for clues, the spirit lays the smackdown on her. It gets tiresome after a while, but if the entity were to kill her immediately, the movie would end. The entity ratchets up the activity and then mostly goes quiet for a spell, which reminds me a little of Drag Me To Hell (clearly a completely different tone). In those quiet moments, Rosario incorporates a few quick scares without adding a musical sting. The practical effects also give the scares an extra punch, making them more effective.
Rosario blends horror with history, identity, and struggle. As the movie continues, we learn about the entity terrorizing Rosario and how it became attached to her. This is where the story blends with the real struggle of trying to make it in the United States. There’s too much exposition, but I appreciated the story’s main plotlines. I loved how the story continued into the daylight. Most movies create a time limit for malevolent activities. Usually, the sun comes up, and the terror ends. This entity can pull up any time, any place (like Janet Jackson) once you’re in its grips. We love a relentless baddie! If you are looking for a nice little one-location haunt, then Rosario is worth the watch.
Rosario will start haunting theaters on May 2.
