Verónica unleashes the horrors of coming of age with demonic malice.

• Scare factor: ★★★★★
• Surreal factor: ★★★★☆
• Coming of age factor: ★★★★☆
• Originality factor: ★★★★☆
• Entertainment factor: ★★★★★

Verónica is a Spanish supernatural occult possession horror film that is based on a true story. Whether you believe in real demons or not, this is a very terrifying and moving story about Verónica and her three young siblings. It’s a very scary, well-crafted horror that invests in it’s characters. With an ominous atmosphere, a creepy demon and excellently timed jump scares, this film knows how to scare. Told from the perspective of Verónica, both in storytelling as in cinematography this also feels very intimate and up close. With some surreal scenes, it’s also a coming-of-age story that is very tangible. This supernatural possession film is an absolute wonderful horror watch that is fresh and original, and stands out.

Verónica is directed and written by Paco Plaza and cowritten byFernando Navarro. It stars Sandra Escacena, Bruna González, Claudia Placer, Iván Chavero, Ana Torrent, Consuelo Trujillo.

Duration: 1h 45m

Plot

15 Year-old Verónica has to take care of her three siblings after her father has died and her mother Ana has to spend most of her time working. This is a very heavy job for a young girl and she misses her father very much. When a sun eclipse is about to happen, she and her friends play with an ouija board to talk to her father. But instead she accidentally invites in a sinister demon that wants to possess her and taunts and torments her siblings. She has to protect them before it’s too late.

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Short Review

Besides a supernatural occult possession story this is a coming-of-age story about Verónica herself, as well. Shot from her perspective, it’s all about her feelings, her burden,  and worries, her conflicts and needs. The care of her siblings Irene, Luciá and Antoñito is a too big of a job for a young girl, although she loves them very much. The love for them grows more when they are tormented by the demon. That also results in a very gripping watch. Verónica and her siblings are all very likable and little Antoñito is just adorable. Her being both a child and an almost young woman is very subtly shown and that causes the film to be charming as well. But it does point out her conflicts and struggles in a tragic way.

Every shot is about her, her fears, her life, her friends, her tasks, like we watch over her shoulder. A very surreal scene when she’s walking on the street underlines that even more. And the dream she has about her siblings and mother shows that she is both haunted by the demon and her responsibilities. Both cause conflict to create her own identity. That also shows when she looks in the mirror and is shown the wrong way, like she herself is wrong. 

It all comes down to the story of a teenage girl that isn’t believed and has a too big of an imagination and mixed with grief, that has enormous consequences. The structure of the film passes slowly, but does so with a creepy intimate atmosphere that builds up towards the terrifying ending. 

The demon shows itself in very subtle creepy ways that add to the terrifying atmosphere. Each haunting is different and when it is mixed with the ghost of her father it’s very disturbing and tragic, but also really scary. The film never forgets that a demon is after them and it will let them and the viewer know at the right times. It’s both visceral and physical and that’s whats makes it even more scary. Like a nightmare that creeps into real life and you can’t shake it and it becomes more real. 

Verónica is a truly scary film that has a story to tell and does it with care. It’s tragic, endearing and even cosy at times, while the ominous vibe is never far away. It’s greatly shot and with music by ‘Heroes Del Silencio’ her character is even more clarified. It plays out in the nineties and the music fits right into that era. The film is cause for some fresh air in the possession genre that goes further than mere demonic possession gore. 

My favorite part

I real loved the dynamics between the siblings. Verónica loves them, but they also are a big burden for her. That’s actually rather sad, for she can’t love them to the fullest some times. But when it comes down to protecting them, she’s the best big sister ever. She’s brave and it stresses out their bond. Little Antoñito is just adorable and he steals every scene he’s in. And because it’s only about four children who are attacked by a demon, it’s all the more scary and disturbing. The scene where she dreams that she is attacked by her siblings and mother is also a greatly shot scene but very unsettling. It’s very symbolical and really portrays Verónica’s fears and loneliness.