The Old Ways

Cristina Lopez is an American reporter who has travelled her ancestral town near the city of Veracruz in Mexico. Here she hopes to write a story about the local folklore. After going to a cave she was told to avoid she is held in a small hut. Here she is told that she now has a demon inside her and that getting it out will be difficult, dangerous and painful. A local bruja, or witch, leads the exorcism with the help of a man named Javi and Cristina's cousin Miranda.

I thought this was a really solid little horror film. It starts well without wasting time on the set up; what we need to know we learn later. This means the viewer's confusion mirrors Cristina's as we see her in captivity with a sack over her hear. The location gives a good sense of claustrophobia and the scenes of the exorcism are suitably disturbing and quite gory. All the time there is a sense that Cristina is in real danger in a situation she has difficulty comprehending. Having the exorcism based in native Mexican beliefs made a refreshing change from Catholicism; and removes obvious comparisons to a certain film made in 1973! The small cast does an impressive job; most obviously Brigitte Kali Canales as Cristina and Julia Vera as Luz as the Bruja. The special effects are pretty good. Overall I enjoyed this more than I expected it and would recommend it... as it is only ninety minutes long you won't waste too much time if you don't enjoy it.