Venus movie storyline. Featuring according to Balagueró “terror, blood, aberrations and terribly bad people”, the fiction is based on H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Dreams in the Witch House”, transferring the story to a “dirty, modern city” setting in the outskirts of Madrid, focusing on a cursed building in Villaverde Sur. Go-go dancer Lucía, on the run with a stash of pills and hunted by mobsters, takes sanctuary in an apartment block with sister Rocío and niece Alba only to find out that malevolent supernatural forces are at play in the building.
Venus is a 2022 Spanish action horror thriller film directed by Jaume Balagueró, loosely inspired by H. P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Dreams in the Witch House”. It stars Ester Expósito, Ángela Cremonte, Inés Fernández, Magüi Mira, Aten Soria, María José Sarrate, Sofía Reyes, Fernando Valdivielso, Federico Aguado, Francisco Boira and Pedro Bachura.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness section in September 2022. It will later have its US premiere at the Fantastic Fest. Likewise, it screened in the opening gala of the 55th Sitges Film Festival on 6 October 2022. It is set to be released theatrically in Spain on 2 December 2022 by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Film Review for Venus
At its core, Venus is a story about loss, alienation, and searching for a better life. That story is somewhat lost amidst the crimson red being poured all over the apartment, Lovecraftian horrors, and mythology of the Queen of Sorrows. Yet, there are some small sparks of it in its moments of closeness. Overall, the film’s a bit messy, as it wants to dwell on several subgenres of the comedic and horrific senses. Some, if not the majority, of Venus’ story makes sense: despite its narrative disarray, its taking a bit to “get going”, and some twists that you can see coming early on, it is quite an entertaining watch.
On paper, Venus shouldn’t work, as the combination of genres like crime, dark comedy, and cosmic horror is quite hard to manage. Still, even though the film’s story structure is evidently fractured, Balagueró finds a way to amuse audience members via some gory and blood-soaked moments (presented by both CG and practical effects), and high-intensity sequences.
Although Venus constantly offers horror elements, Balagueró focuses on Lucía’s current predicament with the crime bosses, relying on siege film trappings and the sensation of continually feeling hunted. Because that is the main focus, the cosmic horror components slowly develop in the background until its thrill-packed last act arrives. The problem with such dynamics is that the film’s narrative is always embedded in the present, which leaves little room for backstory and development, primarily of the sisterly relationship between Lucía and Rocío. This causes the emotional moments between them to have little impact on the viewer. At least, the scenes where Lucía bonds with her niece somewhat make up for those lost and wasted moments.
Expósito and Fernández deliver solid performances and have great chemistry that does the heavy lifting in the film’s weakest scenes. Between the two, the badass lead, Expósito, shines throughout, showcasing her talent as a horror screen magnet and heroine in that anxiety-inducing grand finale. The parts most people will remember the most are the film’s high-octane sequences rather than its horror chills, because of the claustrophobic and fierce filmmaking by Balagueró and cinematographer Pablo Rosso. Balagueró may not be in total control of Venus’ narrative, but he does some great work in the film’s horror/action set-pieces that will please midnight movie watchers. Venus may not be up to par with REC, yet it is highly enjoyable if you seek splatter and adrenaline-fueled fun.
Venus (2023)
Directed by: Jaume Balagueró
Starring: Ester Expósito, Ángela Cremonte, Inés Fernández, Magüi Mira, Aten Soria, María José Sarrate, Sofía Reyes, Fernando Valdivielso, Federico Aguado, Francisco Boira, Pedro Bachura
Screenplay by: Jaume Balagueró, Fernando Navarro
Production Design by: Carlos Lebrero
Cinematography by: Pablo Rosso
Film Editing by: Luis de la Madrid
Costume Design by: Rebeca Duran Estrada
Art Direction by: Patrick Salvador
Music by: Vanessa Garde
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, language and some drug use.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures
Release Date: September 16, 2022 (TIFF), December 2, 2022 (Spain), March 31, 2023 (United States)
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