Funeral home (La Funeraria)

After being screened at the excellent and unmissable Canadian Fantasia festival, Mauro Iván Ojeda's debut film is also being screened at the British virtual festival FrighFest . It must be recognized that offering a new approach to a genre that has created its own codes is rare nowadays, which makes Funeral home (La Funeraria) all the more successful. Placing his story in a small and unique place, where three characters brilliantly interpreted by dedicated actors evolve, director Mauro Iván Ojeda reminds us that a good ghost story is as much a human drama as it is a supernatural tale.

For those who thought they had seen it all when it comes to haunted house movies and possession, we can only suggest that you immerse yourself in this Argentinian horror film by director Mauro Iván Ojeda. Bernardo is a funeral director who runs his business in the same house where he lives. His clients are always in the foreground. In the back, his dysfunctional family lives amidst coffins, wreaths and malicious supernatural entities that visit him daily. They attribute these paranormal manifestations to corpses.

Mauro Iván Ojeda's screenplay shows that this director has a perfect mastery of the theme of haunted houses and other supernatural presence and knows how to play on the nerves of the spectators. We are therefore perfectly manipulated by a director who reveals a true gift for storytelling. In the same way the actress Celeste Gerez gives a remarkable interpretation and her presence gives this film a very special aura.

The other great quality of Funeral home (La Funeraria) is its ability to perfectly create a disturbing atmosphere, not only because of the great care given to the sound and the numerous sound effects, but also because of the music. Everything contributes here to give life to a successful and disturbing horrific thriller.

Funeral home (La Funeraria)
Written and directed by Mauro Iván Ojeda
Starring Luis Machín, Celeste Gerez and Camila Vaccarini
Release date: August 21, 2020 (Canada)
Running time: 86 minutes

Viewed on October 18, 2020 (screener press)

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