Toxique

For this entire movie, you watch people alternate between losing their minds over nothing, under-reacting to major issues, and rambling about crack-pot theories. But you keep watching because the story is told so well that you find yourself sucked into it.

Then at one instant, you'll realize that the entire thing is essentially just an anti-science rant that's based on a serious lack of understanding of numerous topics. And that's not even a spoiler. Because the actual topic is so moronic and far-fetched that you would never guess it with 1000 tries.

They should have just gone with "It's aliens.". It's just as dumb, but at least it makes sense.

I watched with English audio.

I assume it makes more sense in Spanish. The Spanish title does.

Rescue Distance. It is the "thread" that makes it make sense. It is repeated continuously. And somebody chose Fever Dream instead?!

I have more questions. And very few answers.

Madres made sense. The poetry in this film seems lost in translation.

I've never watched a movie with a rate under 6, but I'm making an exception for this. I like the storyline which makes me curious what happens next, even though makes me confused at the same time, but I don't really like the sad ending.

You can tell the negative reviewers were expecting a "horror movie" with "scares." Fever Dream is not a spooky ghost movie. It's a psychological drama with an element of magical realism. The story is very coherent and very clearly explained; it would only be confusing to someone who thinks "supernatural" elements must fit into a well established trope, like a curse or a haunting. The original novella had a more surreal, more disturbing sense of desperation, confusion and sadness that would be difficult to translate to film, and they didn't fully do it justice, but it's still competently made. Bottom line is that the book was better but the bad reviews are still mostly just clueless.

Fever Dream: a tale of a sickness upon the land, poisoned water, affecting horses and humans. Also a story about friendship and maternal love, and hate. A folk healer can "cure" the afflicted but at a cost. It involves the transmigration of spirits. This causes the "cured" (especially children) to act like changelings even appear like monsters to their loved ones. The horror here is predominately psychological but is no less effective than the gore/shock variety. The film does require close attention and perhaps even a second viewing but all the answers you seek to solve the mystery are within it. Not everything is as it seems at first glance and some characters show unexpected depths. An Eco-Folk Horror tale which you won't forget in a hurry. Directed by Claudia Llosa, adapted by Llosa and Samanta Schweblin from Schweblin's novel. On Netflix. 8/10.