Spoilers get their wings every time someone reads a review.

From the very start, we get told that this is not the way things happened. Having a flawed point of view gives the filmmaker the ability to alter the very fabric of what we see based on the character’s biased perception. In this case, we’re talking about a child so we’re seeing the fantastic in a very visual depiction. Now, let’s see if that is backed up by substance.

Rita (2024) was written and directed by Jairo Bustamante. The titular character, Rita (Giuliana Santa Cruz), is a 13-year old fugitive that has been sent to a correctional facility for young female runaways. Each ward of the place is inhabited by a group of girls who have being forced to adopt an identity. Rita is sent to the Angels, who wear wings. There’s also Fairies, Princesses, Ferals and so forth. Although each group has their function, we don’t get to see each of them in their element. That is, except for the mysterious Stars which some believe have the dead amongst their ranks. However, the biggest threat that exists are the guards that abuse the girls and the very people in charge that appear to ready to sell the girls into forced prostitution.

The visuals, highlighted to the fantastic, are impressive. That being said, the events move slowly. The girls’ performances are decent enough to sell the oppressive atmosphere. The adults are another matter, although for the most part we’re dealing with corrupt guards and policemen, none of them really stand out in a particularly strong performance. We have the main guard, the matron, the social worker that appears almost like a witch from a fairy tale… But none of them particularly stand out. Even with the horrible things that they’re guilty of, they never really embody their antagonistic nature.

Lightly recommended with reservations. The story barely moves along except for a couple of milestones at the beginning and at the end that wrap up the story. It is loosely based on real case scenario back in 2017, but it has been reinvented into this curious mix of Annie-meets-Peter-Pan-meets-Sucker-Punch that feels like a short story with a longer runtime. I would have prefer to deal further into some of the mythology of the background characters, but I understand that’s not the real objective. A tighter edit might sharpen up the storytelling and make it a smoother flight to endure.

That will do for now.