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Phenomena: An Unhelpful Review

Writer's picture: Amanda KelnerAmanda Kelner

Alright, this one I got right. This movie was released this year, and while it's been on my watch list for a minute, I think I'm still relatively on time with this one. Phenomena brings us back to spooky scary stuff and a little bit of a mystery. It's also a Spanish-language film and again, if you've got a thing against foreign films, you need to pull it together. Although I will say I sometimes struggle with Spanish-language films because they're talking very fast and the subtitles are flying by and I'm not the fastest reader, so there are sometimes chunks of dialog I miss.


Also, this is a horror movie in many respects, so there is a content warning for horror themes, murder, domestic violence, and lots of smoking.


With all that said, I give you Phenomena.


Briefly, and Without Spoilers

Years after the height of their popularity, a small team of paranormal investigators, some with true supernatural talents, find themselves on the brink of disbandment. While some are still fully committed, others have begun to turn their attention to life outside the paranormal. But all that changes when one of their own, Padre Pilón (Emilio Gutiérrez Caba), is attacked on a solo investigation at an antique store and winds up in the hospital. The remaining three members, and a young intern, head to the scene of the crime to find out what happened and what is haunting the store.


Directed by Carlos Therón and written by Marta Buchaca and Fernando Navarro, Phenomena explores the power of faith and friendship, and learning when to hold on and when to let go.


Trio of Strong Women for the Win (Spoilers Ahead!!)

Just weeks after our review of Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, we have another trio of strong female characters although this time they're actually working together. And I'm so glad they were.


Honestly, the best part of this movie was their relationship. Their connection, their quirkiness, and their banter made the entire movie fantastic, and the fact that we never really strayed from them was a smart choice on the writers' part.


That isn't to say there weren't other great characters, but there was something so natural and so complete about the dynamic between the three women. I think of the three, I thought Gloria (Toni Acosta) was the strongest and most intriguing. Her ongoing, underlying conflict with herself and her powers, coupled with the strength she showed in nearly every scene, made for an incredible character.


But I really liked how all three shined in the end. Yes, there was the first act where there was a gaggle of characters, but once it was just down to the women, their characters really developed beyond their trope-esque foundations. From Gloria coming into her own to Sagrario (Belén Rueda) finally learning to let go of the things she'd been hanging onto to Paz (Gracia Olayo) carrying (sometimes literally) the other two through their harrowing experience, the three really came together at the end and their chemistry made the whole film what it was.


A Tale of Good Side Characters

There were also some really great side characters in this movie, particularly with the couple and Father Pilón. The couple was so fun to see on screen and that poor husband was hilariously pathetic. And Father Pilón ultimately fulfilled the role that he had constantly been described as holding. He ended up becoming a strong, patriarchal figure that ultimately helps Gloria and Sagrario through their struggles and out the other side.


And I did really like the young intern. I thought his story could have been more fleshed out, especially after it's heavily implied that he has similar gifts as Gloria, and I kind of wish they'd gone further with his character. I thought he acted as a good straight character to balance out the women's strong dynamic and while I see the purpose in sending him away for the end, I kind of wish he had stayed.


A Little Confusing, A Little "Been There, Done That"

It's obviously a classic horror tale. I'm not sure I saw anything new with this story. And the less attractive, unkempt woman ultimately becomes the bad guy is a trope I thought Hollywood had moved past, but maybe not.


I'm also a little confused as to what even happened with that story line. So there's clearly a demon or angry spirit in the antique store, but in their quest to identify the spirit, they discover many of the clues they were picking up on led them to realize the woman across the hall was abusing her daughter. And then they acted like that solved the problem, but how does removing the mother help the antique store? Even if the idea was the spirit would stop feeding on the mother's negativity, it's still there right? And yes, they return and realize the demon is still there, but I didn't understand why they were so willing to walk away and act like the problem had been solved.


There was also a storyline about a previous case they took on that played a major role in why they broke down, sort of the one case that they could never shake and never really solved. And it kind of comes back around at the end, because I think the demon was supposed to have been at this other case as well? I don't know, I didn't need the extra layers.


Nothing to do on a Friday? Watch This!

While there were some things I wasn't crazy about, overall, I thought it was a decent horror movie with a strong cast. If you're looking for a good horror movie that isn't too dark and heavy all the time, this might be it.

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