Luz, La Fleur du Mal

Juan Diego Escobar Alzate has created a visual masterpiece with this 104 minute folk horror feature film. I first viewed LUZ: the flower of evil at the Buffalo Dreams Film Festival 2020. Not only is the imagery captured visually stunning, the soundtrack moves the viewer through each frame and scene effortlessly flowing between emotions. The canvas that is painted by the natural light of the sky and each choice made regarding the actor's costuming and set design are with such detail. There is an ebb and flow constantly between the very dark parts and this of the light. The Dark gets very, very dark. I intentionally rewatched the film on DVD just to view with out subtitles (with a friend who was able to not miss a beat of the story). It really says something when a viewer can simply watch and understand most of the film "sin palabras"/without words. LUZ may leave you with much to ponder. LUZ may leave you without words. Thank you and much success to the team Afasia Films, all the actors and crew that worked so hard to create ~LUZ~.

Stylistically beautiful with an incredible colour palet and haunting score. It is a film to let wash over you; there are some very disturbing moments but it is not a jump scare horror, rather it is a slow immersion into a wonderfully unsettling experience.

A very well made film. Filled with great actors and chemistry. Congratulations to everyone involved.

A beautiful, unsettling experience. Reminds one of The Witch, but I think this movie is probably better than that one. And the music was not only a lovely choice, but the narrative makes you think about what music really is and does.

Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019) This Colombian film is a beautiful and scary work of art. The feature debut of Juan Diego Escobar Alzate who has done television work and short films previously, it is assured and bewitching. Taking place in the remote mountains. We are never sure where or when. One of the girls finds a cassette recorder in the woods, so it must be late 20th century or later. They live a primitive life, horses for transportation, no electricity, and no indoor running water. The community is basically a cult, run by El Señor. Besides his daughter and two other girls in his household, he has a boy chained in a pen outside. He says the boy is Jesus. But he has had other boys who didn't prove to be the Messiah. El Señor rules the community with an iron hand, but the girls are beginning to see through his prophet act. Other villagers are starting to stray in various ways. As real life intrudes, El Señor begins to lose control. And the boy in the pen definitely is not Jesus...