Rosario

This film really drags man. That's about the summary of this entire feature, it's a film tackling a very tired and cliche realm of horror, whilst also a film that's throwing some cultural patronage - which it doesn't fail at, however when it comes to most horror aspects, it falls flat. This film offers some little eye openers here and there, nothing spectacular, moreorless predictable circumstances you'll see from miles away. Some poorly timed jumpscares, bad audio and extremely predictable scenarios sprinkled among a plot that drags, this wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen, but if you're gonna take time to see it in theaters like I did, congratulations. You've got great patience. Some people will appreciate this film, but at the very least, it tried - it's extremely basic in every regard all in all.

The movie couldve been really good but the 1st and major issue is its dark, like pitch dark. I have no idea why filmmakers continue to use this annoying tactic. Its creepier if you can see the stuff not just lightly outlined shapes in dim lighting. Seems like every cheap basic horror trick was used for the movie instead of really digging into this occult practice which is both fascinating and very frightening. I saw it because i had very dark experiences with this type of religion due to an ex i dated. I know its real and i also know the power of suggestion. I feel like all they tried doing is throw a bunch of latina girl boss empowerment at the spooky religion and called it a day. Its too bad they wasted a great opportunity.

In this flick, we follow Rosario Fuentes, a Wall Street stockbroker. After the sudden death of her grandmother, she feels obligated to watch over the body until her father and the medics arrive. While sorting through her grandmother's belongings, she discovers a hidden chamber filled with occult artifacts tied to dark rituals. Soon, terrifying visions and supernatural occurrences begin to haunt her, forcing Rosario to confront her family's buried secrets.

The premise itself is interesting but familiar, and not easy to pull off. The movie heavily relies on Emeraude Toubia as Rosario, as she occupies most of the screen time while dealing with the supernatural events. She does a decent job portraying her character, even though Rosario herself is rather unlikeable and makes several stupid and illogical decisions that only complicate her situation further.

The supporting cast plays minor roles, and the film even features David Dastmalchian which I didn't know going in. His appearance was a pleasant surprise, but his role is small and doesn't give him much screen time.

Unfortunately, the movie is very darkly lit, and many scenes require close attention to understand what's happening visually. It features some decent effects and a few unsettling moments, though nothing particularly new or shocking for genre fans. The backstory that unfolds is interesting, but at times confusing, and the film suffers from pacing issues despite its relatively short runtime.

Overall, it's a decent flick with a tense atmosphere, but it leans too heavily on jump scares and is visually too dark. That makes it rather forgettable aside from a few standout scenes. Rosario had some potential, but the story and execution had too many flaws for the movie to truly work.

[5.1/10]

The premise of this could have turned into something really cool and mildly terrifying if they had done it properly. But they did not. I wish that I had not chosen to forgo a couple hours of reading a really good book that I'm in to go watch this because it was a waste of time. The character was not appropriately scared for anything that was going on in this movie. She didn't even scream when gross rotting demons were in her face. She kept touching a dead body and desecrating a corpse. Like.. it was just bad. There could have been so much potential for some good jumpscares, for some really intense scenes with these rotting corpse demon things. There was no intensity in the music, there was no intensity in the acting, and the storyline just didn't make sense most of the time. She finds this back room where her grandmother is practicing some voodoo witchcraft stuff and she has no idea what's going on. She googles it and suddenly she knows how to break whatever curse she thinks she has and she's upstairs doing these incantations and voodoo stuff and reading out of a book that's in Spanish when she doesn't even know spanish. It was just a hot mess from start to finish. She keeps talking to her grandmother's corpse like her grandmother is alive and they're having a snarky chat. It was just so odd. I think the one bright spot in the movie was Joe. I can't remember the actor's name off the top of my head, he was in Late Night With the Devil. But he did a good job with what he was given. Would not recommend going to see this in the theater, maybe streaming, but even then that would be a stretch.

For audiences looking for a fresh take on the possession subgenre, Felipe Vargas's "Rosario" might not fully deliver. The film, starring Emeraude Toubia as the titular Wall Street stockbroker, delves into a culturally rich backdrop as Rosario uncovers her family's dark secrets after her grandmother's death. While the premise offers intriguing possibilities with its focus on generational rituals and occult artifacts, the execution often leaves something to be desired.

Much of the film's horror relies on scenes shrouded in darkness, which, while sometimes effective in creating atmosphere, can also obscure details and limit the visual impact of its supernatural occurrences. "Rosario" treads familiar ground within the possession narrative, and while it doesn't necessarily detract from the story, it also doesn't introduce much that feels new or groundbreaking.

Ultimately, "Rosario" is a watchable film, but it's unlikely to leave a lasting impression. It's the kind of movie you might enjoy once, but it's quickly forgotten amidst the vast landscape of horror offerings.