Phenomena

This is better than any Hollywood horror out there now. It was fun and engaging and spooky. The cast of three older characters was a breath of fresh air in a industry thrusting young actors and actress onto the screen. I would.live to see a series of films following these three. It had it's faults but overall it's a fun spooky film.. where amazingly it an actual ghost at the end for a change. Like I stated the atmosphere created and way TS made to feel spooky with a background of dread surpasses any other horror film made in the last 5 years. And the odd chuckle added to make it really enjoyable.

Phenomena (2023) is a Spanish film recently released to Netflix. This true story tells a tale of a group of aging ladies in the 1970s that form a group to research paranormal phenomena around Madrid. We follow the group as it grows in numbers and cases to research. Their group is still active to this day...

This movie is directed by Carlos Therón (It's for Your Own Good) and stars Belén Rueda (The Sea Inside), Gracia Olayo (The Last Circus), Toni Acosta (Dangerous Mims) and Ivan Massagué (Pan's Labyrinth).

The premise for this was pretty good and the characters were interesting and well depicted. The hair style and way they captured the era gave me Golden Girl vibes for some reason. The horror elements were mediocre and made for television caliber, like a PG13 horror movie. There's a lot of cheese in this. The seance scenes were okay, and I enjoyed the final showdown at the end. This is just a very soft, cheesy horror movie.

Overall, this was a very average addition to the horror genre with a few fun scenes. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend skipping it.

This movie starts out brilliantly presenting the 3 main characters. Amazing acting by all 3 of them, the comedy element was very much appreciated but faded completely during the last part of the movie. The ending was a bit too serious and felt rushed. Overall very fun to watch, ideal for a family movie night we really enjoyed it and the acting was top-notch. On the horror front it does not innovate and cannot compete with the best Spanish horror movies like The Orphanage. Don't watch it if you want jump scares, a well developed atmosphere or simply to get scared. Would have been an 8 if it didn't take itself too seriously.

You're already trapped by bewitching filmic photography and powerful set design that leaves no room for couch distractions. Facts of paranormal phenomena told in a story of great suspense with a gripping crescendo, mysterious, breathless, but at the same time graceful thanks to the indistinguishable Spanish irony of the three female heroines who also allow you to smile in moments of jolt during some scenes of high tension in the second part of the story supported by an irrepressible, handsome, robust and conciliatory sound like the deeds of the three women who alone save their ..... Maria Pia.

I've watched a few Spanish films in the past couple of years and this is as good as any of them. Set in Madrid in 1998 where it seems to rain all the time, it's about three paranormal investigators and a sinister case they get entwined in. The three ladies are Gloria, Sagrario and Paz. All three are played very well by Toni Acosta, Belen Rueda and Gracia Olayo. In tone it reminded me a bit of 7 Women and a Murder, another Netflix film, this time an Italian one. Of the three leads it's Olayo as Paz that stands out for me as she's the more comedic character.

This film is very enjoyable and is light hearted but also has it's creepier moments.