Errementari: Der Schmied und der Teufel

Saying this is my first Basque movie probably lacks impact since there are so few of them, but if this is what to expect from them then sign me up for more.

Yet another Netflix original it tells the story of a reclusive blacksmith who imprisons the demon he deems responsible for much of his misery.

It is arguably a dark fairytale, it looks the part, it sounds the part and the cast are fantastic. I had no idea what to expect going in but am certainly happy that I ended up giving it a chance.

It's very hard to categorize Errementari as it has fantasy roots but plays out much like a horror. It's grim, it's dark, its pretty unforgiving yet it has its heart in the right place and doesn't lose atmosphere in favor of needless impact. It has themes with religion, sacrifice and loss, which makes it even more fascinating and relatable.

It had me gripped early, partially because there simply isn't enough of this type of movie out there. It's deep, it's rich and I really enjoyed it. Sure it's not without its flaws, but nothing can take away from it's originality and overwhelming charm.

Good job!

The Good:

Looks great

Truly stands out from everything else on Netflix

The Bad:

Certain things are ridiculous and unexplained

Should have been a tad longer

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Thin twigs don't make for the most intimidating weapons

Dolls are immortal and cannot be killed by mere decapitation

We need more movies like this!

An intriguing visualization of a classic Basque folklore tale representing the hubris of humankind and the question of what is good and evil. Oddly rewarding and disappointing at the same time; rewarding in the sense of a well designed period piece and visualization of a region-specific folktale, but disappointing in the casting choices and acting methods of some of the roles.

I was impressed with the boldness of the religious hypocrisy portrayed in this film as well as the representation of Hell as seen from the 19th century Christian church. I find it interesting how different cultures find similarities in Hell while completely changing other facets of its representation.

Although I would not recommend multiple viewings of this film, and in the end it left me a bit underwhelmed, I would recommend a single watch simply to see a film version of this folktale and how the director and writers viewed their version of Hell.

Another reviewer labeled this as a "Dark Fantasy", and that is simply spot on! It's not really a true horror movie; almost more a morality play based on Basque folklore, and is scary in a proper "Grimm's Fairy Tales" sort of way. If you're familiar with the movie "Legend"(1985 w/Tom Cruise), this movie should be next to it on your shelf... or I guess these days in the same folder on your computer/tablet.

As to viewing options, and some of the complaints about the acting, I'll say this: the English dub is pretty bad(for both dialogue and overall audio), which often over or under sells the actor's delivery. If you are one who can handle subtitles, you're best experience will be listening to the original Basque audio, and the subtitles of your native language.

I have never reviewed a movie on IMDB before but I was moved to since someone gave this a 1 rating then only copied the plot verbatim. I found this to be immensely enjoyable. Even with the dubbed dialogue and the captioning that didn't quite agree, it had a wonderful feel of old midevil Europe. The make up on the demons was so 1950s I felt I was enjoying an old Lon Chaney movie. Great direction and great special effects. Pop some corn and grab a Coke and a blanket and kick back for an hour and a half of running with the devil!

Currently out on Netflix, Errementari is a Basque film, a dark fairy tale kind of like the Brothers Grimm based on a European fable. In it, a young girl comes across a blacksmith who has trapped a demon.

The whole thing is well done. It captures the roughness of original fairy tales without trying to make this a straight-out horror movie.

The best part is the whole look of the thing. The demon design is based on medieval drawings of Hell. The demons have this retro look that is both fun, but also a little unsettling.