This Disturbing New Horror Movie Is Held Back by 1 Unforgiveable Flaw

The story of “Rosario” is a deeply unsettling exploration of ancestry, tradition, pain, and the profound sacrifices families endure for their children. This chilling horror production stands out as one of the most emotionally intense, disturbing, and impactful contributions to the current horror renaissance. However, despite its powerful effects, rich themes, symbolism, strong acting, and gripping intensity, “Rosario” is marred by a critical flaw in its shocking finale.

1999 saw young Rosario Fuentes marking her first communion at her grandmother’s apartment in Brooklyn, with her ailing, distant, and sharp-tongued mother Elena, loving father Oscar, grandmother Griselda, and their extended family – all being first-generation Mexican immigrants, hoping for Rosario to achieve contentment and prosperity. Fast forward 26 years, and polished professional stockbroker Rosario resides in Manhattan, deeply immersed in materialism, having strayed from her roots. As a looming blizzard approaches, Griselda passes away, prompting Rosario to be summoned to stay with the body until paramedics arrive. During this night, malevolent entities start haunting, compelling Rosario to delve into her family’s heartbreaking past in order to lay the spirit to rest.

Rosario Is an Exercise in How to Do Practical Horror Effectively

The Art Direction and Effects Are Disgusting And Putrefying — And Perfect

In a nod to filmmaker Sam Raimi’s style, Director Felipe Vargas appears to be an admirer of his works, particularly evident in the similarities between their films. Both narratives feature a female lead from the financial sector who is compelled to lift a curse within a tight timeframe, dealing with corpses and supernatural entities. However, Felipe, along with writer Alan Trezza, switches the backdrop of a housing crisis and greed-themed elements for a more intimate storyline revolving around culture, ancestry, sacrifice, and traditional customs.

The film Rosario employs the classic trope of a confined setting, modernized for contemporary times. The protagonist is trapped in a dilapidated apartment, sharing space with the decomposing remains of a cherished relative, as an intense storm and strict curfew prevent any possibility of escape. This eerie scenario is the film’s most potent asset.

In a unique portrayal, “Rosario” showcases certain narrative challenges due to its solitary theme. However, occasional phone calls or encounters with neighbors help move the story along. Interestingly, despite relying heavily on dialogue, the visual aspects of the film overshadow this, proving crucial and remarkably relevant thanks to the skilled work of the production team. To describe “Rosario” as a movie would be to call it “lifeless.” The film’s color scheme, makeup, costumes, and set designs all conjure the most dismal aspects of decay. A pervasive atmosphere of death, rot, putrefaction, and coldness envelops the film. The chilly streets of New York City, the sterile, minimalist offices, and the dilapidated subways are depicted in shades of white and grey, creating an icy and melancholic ambiance that grows increasingly tarnished and rundown as Rosario strays further from the opulence of Wall Street.

In stark contrast to Griselda’s rundown, unsanitary apartment, these spaces serve as a refuge, albeit an unpleasant one due to their disorienting cinematography. Rather than relying on conventional angles like wide, bird’s eye, worm’s eye or Dutch angles, Rosario strives to disrupt the usual viewing experience entirely. The camera work includes shots that are turned upside-down, sideways, or positioned at unusual angles. Additionally, there is an abundance of close-ups showcasing decaying flesh, crawling insects, and other distressing visuals.

Rosario deliberately pushes the boundaries of disgusting in its visual style. The design, practical effects, editing, and overall aesthetic of the movie create an experience that surpasses typical horror movie levels of revulsion. Roaches scuttle over decaying food and tissue, mold covers walls, dust swirls, and debris clutters floors. Each shot appears filthy, as if the camera lens were smeared with grime and aged by time. This description barely touches on the condition of the dead body. Blood collects in extremities, skin takes on unusual hues, maggots, worms, and supernatural entities emerge from orifices and wounds. Flesh deforms, bodies are crammed into other bodies, limbs and critters and even demons elongate and writhe beneath lifeless, darkening skin. Rotten textiles, clothes, and furniture dominate the visual landscape. This film would pose a genuine health risk for smell-o-vision technology.

In a chilling portrayal, even the living characters seem eerily lifeless – David Dastmalchian as Joe, the sick neighbor, appears to be on the brink of death. Characters like Rosario herself and her father Oscar appear to lose their liveliness at an alarming rate, almost rivaling their deceased counterpart who continues to decay and become more grotesque with each passing horror scene. The music and sound effects also contribute to this unsettling atmosphere, as they deteriorate and take on a putrid quality, filled with mournful brass instruments, sighing strings and woodwinds, and electronic effects that mimic digital death rattles. There are also unnatural technological sounds like failing cell phones and electricity that flickers and malfunctions. The harsh outside world, characterized by its relentless blizzard and human cruelty, underscores this cold and hostile environment that seems to be rapidly deteriorating.

Emeraude Toubia Carries Rosario’s One-Woman Nightmare

Rosario Uses Folk Horror to Dismantle the American Dream

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I found myself utterly captivated by Emeraude Toubia’s portrayal of Rosario in this film. The gritty, neglected ambiance of the movie seems to clash starkly with her character – a vibrant, modern outsider, impeccably dressed in tailored clothes, high heels, and expensive jewelry. Yet, it is this contrast that makes her cool, clinical demeanor all the more intriguing.

Initially, Rosario treads cautiously through her grandmother’s apartment and confronts the corpse with remarkable composure, barely masking her revulsion. However, as supernatural events unfold and her nerves, body, and sanity start to falter, Rosario begins to shed the trappings of her polished, successful life – layer by layer, accessory by accessory. By the film’s shocking first twist, this shedding is not accidental but purposeful and thematically significant.

Given that Rosario dominates the screen for most of the movie, Toubia’s performance is nothing short of commendable and compelling. Despite spending a considerable amount of time alone, either with a dead body or a demon as her co-star, she convincingly conveys this transformation, making it a truly captivating spectacle.

As a fan, I’d express it like this: The haunting atmosphere and deep symbolism in the film are largely rooted in Palo Mayombe folklore, reflecting the protagonist Rosario’s Latin-American heritage, her family lineage, her Catholic upbringing, and her grandmother’s undocumented immigrant status. The story weaves in Mexican folklore and traditions, creating a fascinating contrast with the urban backdrop of New York City. Religious imagery, such as skulls, baby teeth, feathers, arcane symbols, Virgin statues, crosses, candles, and beads, recur throughout, blending and clashing in intriguing ways. Rosario’s name meaning “rosary” adds another layer to this connection. These symbolic elements depict the complex pursuit of the ‘American Dream’, representing how different cultures and generations strive for it – or in this case, for the next generation.

In a repeated motif, the image of parents making immense sacrifices for their children, especially from an immigrant’s viewpoint, can be pushed to an extreme literal representation. This symbolism directly relates to feelings of cultural disconnection, intergenerational pain, and the desire to blend in rather than preserving one’s heritage. It is a powerful storytelling tool, using vivid imagery. The rituals, esoteric symbols, and deeply emotional, ancient customs that Rosario performs with Griselda’s body effectively convey both the terror and empathy these themes evoke. Mostly, this traditional horror symbolism spins a compelling tale about healing, introspection, reconciliation, and rebuilding – a narrative that is ultimately inspiring and even beautiful.

In my perspective, the stark contrast between the weighty backdrop of Rosario’s roots – encompassing suppressed trauma, violence, pain, and traditional healing practices – and her casual discarding of her heritage, notably her name, as she strives for typical New York success, is both powerful and disconcerting. This narrative isn’t subtle, but then again, horror often doesn’t thrive on understated themes. Sometimes, it’s acceptable to be direct and even hit the viewer over the head with certain elements if the story demands it, and in the case of Rosario, this approach seems fitting.

However, by the film’s end, this bluntness becomes a double-edged sword. There are some problematic undertones that, with more subtlety, could have been addressed more effectively. The immigration and assimilation journey differs from one person to another and even within generations, and the anti-assimilation undertone in Rosario doesn’t fully capture this diversity.

But it’s crucial to remember that this story is not intended to be a universal narrative. Instead, it offers a unique perspective on a complex issue.

Rosario’s Ending Sabotages the Rest of This Folk Horror Movie

Too Many Themes and Fake-Outs Cause a Major Problem

Instead of repeatedly focusing on immigrant and non-white American stories as solely narratives of generational trauma, identity politics, heritage, and cultural expectations, it’s essential to explore other dimensions. The film “Rosario” does exactly that by subtly incorporating themes of race, culture, horror, and reconciliation in a unique way. Unlike its predecessors that heavily emphasized the pandemic era’s panic, illness, socio-political and racial division, “Rosario” offers a more personal and nuanced perspective on these topics. This reflects the evolution of how we address such themes in contemporary storytelling.

Initially, Rosario lasts for 70 minutes as an impressive horror movie featuring disturbing effects, an outstanding performance from Toubia, exceptional art direction, a perplexing mystery with a clever plot twist, and an unexpectedly touching story about reconnecting with one’s roots and family. Nevertheless, its strong aspects are undermined by a problematic and unwarranted conclusion that not only seems self-defeating but also cruel, even for a film of this horror genre caliber. Regrettably, the plot takes multiple unexpected turns, ultimately resulting in an anticlimax… nearly ending the movie prematurely.

The genre of horror isn’t known for its gentleness, but the twists in “Rosario” are excessively brutal, almost to their own detriment. It seems as if directors Vargas and Trezza didn’t want to give their film a moment to catch its breath or permit viewers to savor and fully appreciate the themes they presented. The conclusion, while foreshadowed subtly, unfortunately overshadows the movie’s strong message and narrative quality with excessive intensity. Perhaps this was merely an opportunity for José Zúñiga to take on more roles. Or maybe it was intended to draw further comparisons to “Drag Me to Hell.” Had it not been for this critical mistake, “Rosario” could have become a cult classic or a mainstay in folk horror. Regrettably, it can’t seem to find peace.

premieres in theaters on May 2, 2025.

2025-05-02 07:06