History of the Occult

Saw this at the Imagine filmfestival 2021, usually in Amsterdam but now 100% online. Could not make heads or tails of it. I sat it out but had to force myself while attempting to follow what happened. For us Europeans there is not enough material to make a connection. An introduction of the parties involved, and especially the role of the journalists trying to phone-in with extra material, would be in order. I soon got lost what exactly the issues were. I kept watching in eager anticipation of a finale, hopefully revealing all secrets and intrigues, but it did not happen.

During the Q&A after the screening I thought I heard that the complete history around the TV-show was made up, and not related to reality. Freely translated: a vehicle to keep the story in motion. That was the moment I stopped the Q&A, lost my leniency to follow it, and switched to writing this commentary. I may have missed something important when the protagonists were introduced, however.

The black&white is another annoyance. It may intended only to suggest we are back in the 80-ies (color-TV existed more than 15 years before that time). It did not work for me and it is redundant anyway (whoever wants The Ten Commandments and/or Ben Hur shot in black&white to remind the viewer that this happened in the past??).

Spanish horror film "History of the Occult" (2020) is a film full of mystery and understatement, which with its atmosphere intrigues and frustrates the viewer at the same time. The plot centers on the TV show "60 Minutes to Midnight", the last episode of which is supposed to reveal the biggest conspiracy of a certain sect. The program's creators have gathered a wealth of information and "dirt" on the mysterious organization, and their goal is to interview its guru.

The film unfolds on three parallel narrative paths. The first is a live interview, the second involves a group of program employees who seem to know more than they are willing to reveal, and the third involves a woman on an outside mission to reach the recording studio. Unfortunately, neither of these paths provides clear answers. The mystery of the cult remains undiscovered, and the viewer is thrown into a vortex of strange, unexplained events that only add to the feeling of confusion.

The film's biggest problem is its incoherence. The story seems to be a conglomeration of loose threads that lead to a goal, but never defines what that goal actually is. The mystery around which the atmosphere is built is never fully explained - just like the audience in a movie show, we, watching *History of the Occult*, are left in limbo. And if you're hoping for a satisfying ending, you may be disappointed - the filmmakers leave it completely open-ended, forcing the viewer to make his own interpretation.

Is it a horror film that scares? Rather not. More than frightening, it evokes feelings of unease and makes you think. It has a few moments that can be considered scary, but they are not typical jumpscares. Rather, it's a film about atmosphere, analysis and the search for hidden meanings that are difficult to read clearly.

The visual layer is also noteworthy - the film is almost entirely in black and white, except for a few scenes in which the color red appears. Why exactly red? That is not known. This treatment is somewhat reminiscent of *Sin City*, but in the case of *History of the Occult* it does not seem to have a clear justification.

All in all, this is a horror film that is more thought-provoking than actually frightening. It is mysterious, incomprehensible and full of puzzles that we have to search for the solution ourselves. If you like movies that force you to analyze and interpret, you might like it. However, if you are looking for a more classic horror film in which the plot leads to a definite punchline, you may feel disappointed.

Atmospheric, mysterious, somber, oblique, apocalyptic. Goes needlessly off the rails a bit when hallucinogens are introduced in that always-disappointing way which has the filmmaker apparently thinking that gas lighting the viewer into wondering what is real and what is a hallucination is somehow entertaining or clever. It's similar to movies in which something creepy or startling happens but, oh gee, it was just a dream. These tactics are ineffective cliches and almost always bring a movie down a notch or two in my book. Despite these shortcomings this is a pretty cool movie with an impactful inclusion. It does come down to literally the last 30 seconds, in which we see that a stylistic element that had been introduced earlier in the film as seemingly a mere stylistic element is actually part of the story.

Side note: I have to wonder whether the name of one of the antagonists being Belasco is a nod to The Legend of Hell House, the Richard Matheson novel, and if a reference to Beaumont Street is a nod to Charles Beaumont, who wrote some of the best Twilight Zone episodes. This movie does have a very Twilight Zoney feel to it so maybe it's not a coincidence.

Blending television broadcast, government conspiracy & powerful witchcraft into an unnerving chiller, History of the Occult is a politically charged & patiently manifesting horror that steadily escalates into a full-fledged nightmare as it progresses, and also benefits from the foreboding atmosphere, surreal imagery, sustained tension & convincing performances.

Written & directed by Cristian Ponce, the story follows the final episode of a famous journalism show that's hosting its last guest who may expose a conspiracy that connects the government with an obscure secret society. Ponce draws the context from Argentine history for his film and it's also the key to deciphering its layers which makes it more suited to the local demographic.

While the unfolding series of events are difficult to follow at times and don't make sense without context to an outsider, the execution of the eerie elements interacting with ongoing investigation does invoke a creepy aura that crawls under the skin. Adding more to the film's sense of unease is the uncanny camerawork, hypnotic visuals & increasing restlessness as the TV show nears its end.

Overall, History of the Occult isn't an easy film to decode in a single sitting if you don't have the means to unlock its mysteries yet the uncomfortable experience it provides from minimal resources is worth noting. There is plenty to unpack here, lots of puzzle pieces to put together but the way it plays with our perception of reality and exudes a dark, mysterious & haunting power makes it worth viewing anyway.

History of the Occult is not a documentary or a mockumentary. This is a movie. It's not filled with possessed little girls climbing on the ceiling or evil ghosts. It's not supernatural, paranormal, or even scary... And I'm thankful. This movie is all about building suspense through a simple premise- a news station is going to expose a satanic conspiracy among the political powers of Argentina.

The movie is cryptic and deliberately vague. If you need movies spelled out for you than this isn't a movie you'll enjoy. The ending is not neatly wrapped up, you'll have to think about it afterwards to make sense of it, and that's what makes it good.