Mal de ojo

I hadn't heard about this 2022 Mexican horror movie titled "Mal De Ojo" (aka "Evil Eye") prior to sitting down to watch it. All I knew about it was that it was a horror movie. And that was essentially also all I needed to give it a go.

Writers Junior Rosario, Edgar San Juan and Isaac Ezban put together a rather enjoyable script for the movie. Though I had figured out the plot about 40 minutes into the movie, and it actually panned out as I had predicted it to.

The storyline and narrative in "Mal De Ojo" was good and entertaining. It was a well-written story and concept, and it provided me with genuine entertainment.

I was by no means familiar with the cast ensemble in this movie as I have next to no experience with the Mexican cinema. But the actresses and actors in the movie put on good performances.

Visually then "Mal De Ojo" was quite good. I liked the special effects in the movie.

My rating of director Isaac Ezban's "Mal De Ojo" movie lands on a six out of ten stars.

What I really liked was that the movie never gets boring. It is always suspenseful and you keep focussed. The movie has a good and suitable atmosphere.

Also the music is great. It is not dominant but still noticeable and always suitable to the corresponding scene.

The scaring effects where almost always predictable but still good and still scaring - at least in the cinema.

The story was good even if I expected most of the "plot twists".

I also liked the design of the creatures and other stuff.

Overall I would say it is a quite classic movie. Don't expect too much nee stuff or things you have never Seen.

Mal de Ojo starts with an interesting premise if you are fans of folk horror. Sisters Nala and Luna are sent to her grandmother while their mother searches for alternative healing methods for Luna's strange sickness. But Nala suspects their grandmother might be an evil witch.

Now, for once, I need to be pick about the title: Evil Eye. I really did not notice any correlation between the title and the movie's story. I wonder what was the Director thinking.

Nala is a neglected teen. Her parents only have eyes for her dying sister - understandable, but Nala's flaw is exactly this: she wants attention, she is tired of being left aside. As the story progresses, we see minor themes like parenthood neglect and submission in place, but these themes don't have a toll on the story's arc. The arc is about the folklore surrounding witchcraft and the likelihood that their grandmother is a witch.

The character Nala is a bit off with current kids, I don't know. I even asked my 11-year-old: "would you be that naïve?" She denied. I tend to believe kids nowadays are not that stupid or gullible; Nala does look like a smart kid, but she keeps struggling to act for no apparent reason other then being submissive to Josefa's demands. I doubt someone so "I do my own" as she seemed to be wouldn't try something different faster. I guess only Stephen King knows how to truly depict children.

Some facts in the movie are obvious, but what keeps the movie strong is Paola Miguel's and Ofelia Medina's acting. Their on-going clash builds momentum as the story becomes darker, building their characters and leading us to the climax.

A climax that derails the movie a bit.

Up to this point, Mal de Ojo, whatever that means, is keeping us hooked enough for the ending revelation. The story does add a bit of exposition "just because", which detracts the entertaining factor. For example, the scope of the witchcraft's influences seems to affect more than just the grandmother's house, but the story explains nothing about this situation.

To wrap up the story, a twist leaves the overall arc too dark. The final scene keeps the story with folk roots, which dissatisfies the audience, as we'd expect a stronger arc ending for Nala.

Mal de Ojo doesn't stand out as one-of-a-kind, neither reinvents the wheel. This movie keeps to its folk-horror genre, delivering a promising story that builds itself strong, but the ending might throw some people off.

From an audiovisual point of view, this is a really successful film. Mysterious scenes promise a pure atmospheric experience, but the creators, in the pursuit of a final surprise, commit more and more illogicalities over time, and the initial incomprehensibility of the story, reflected in the rumor about the triplets and the witch, is therefore not only due to the mysterious atmosphere. The creators are equally trying to create an effective, well-thought-out horror film, but they run into the aforementioned illogicalities and an immoral or unethical conclusion that arises due to the initial incomprehensibility of the story, and as a result, it is also not certain whether the film is supposed to be a black comedy or a mysterious horror.

The Good Stuff:

• I just love when horror movies uses practical effects. There's a scene that reminded me of a Xenomorph from Aliens. I just loved it.

• Coco gave the world a view about mexican culture in a "cute" way. But this movie will teach you things about the witchcraft in Mexico.

• Almost every scene in the movie is a great scene to watch. All the colors fit and they used some nice effects for lights.

The Bad Stuff:

• The biggest problem I found watching this movie is maybe because I saw it in a bad place. But there's every now and then a hight pitch noise that just hurt hearing it.

• The ending seems to me like it was added in the last moment so no one will be "confused"

Overall: Great movie, maybe no the best. But way more interesting than your typicall slasher film.

It is a great movie to learn more about the "dark" side of Mexican culture. If you like practical effects, Mexico and witchcraft.