Spoilers will stay in the next town.
I’m always interested when the horror genre is set on a historic period. However, this film does switch genres a little more into the fantastic. It is based on Basque folklore but it does seem to settle more into a local fairy/folk tale. It does slip away from the horror genre as it puts all the cards on the table, which was a risk. For how well does it pay off, we’ll need to nitpick a little. Let’s do this.
Errementari (2017) is directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo, who co-wrote it with Asier Guerricaechebarría. In a small town of Basque Country in the north of Spain, the people stay clear of the mysterious blacksmith Patxi (Kandido Uranga) who is said to be in league with the Devil. But now that a government envoy has arrived in town looking for Patxi, the townspeople quickly figure out that there might be gold hidden somewhere in the blacksmith’s forge. Things become more complex when a small girl named Usue (Uma Bracaglia) stumbles into the forge, discovering the blacksmith keeps a prisoner named Sartael (Eneko Sagardoy).
The film initially toys in the horror genre, but once we reveal the blackmith’s motivations as well as the true nature of his dynamic with his prisoner, the movie firmly ditches terror for fantasy genre. It’s when the film reveals in this world common regular people deal with demons of literal hell, we know we’re in a fairy tale. Now this is not one for children at all, not because there’s really any gore but because it deals in the grey areas where church and government do not always stand for justice, if they ever stood for it at all. It does adopt a bit of a paternalistic tone, however.
That being said, this is where the tone is a bit scrambled as the outcome feels moralistic. We are in a fable apparently meant to teach us good over evil, but we’ve shown some demonic interactions that any church would condemn. Most characters are pretty easy to read: those who would sacrifice themselves and those who would sacrifice their morals. You can easily identify these traits as most reveals and betrayals can be seen coming a mile away. There’s very little surprise as the film does telegraph its moves and reveals way ahead of time.
Recommended with reservations. Yes, it works overall but the execution and the tone does not always fit the story. Most of the outcomes are obvious, so most filmgoers will guess them beforehand. The more demons show up the less horrific it becomes, leaving the horror genre to enter the fantasy world. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Worth a watch if you don’t mind knowing your destination before you get there.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 