Spoilers get zapped by the door knob.

This feature received a special mention during the announcement of the Cheval Noir. It didn’t win it, but it was obviously a runner-up. I’d dare say it was good enough to win. It did get the prizes for best screenplay and the outstanding performance for lead actress Mariana Di Girolamo, so I guess I can count that as the Jury Awards and me having similar taste. You can read more about the films awarded prizes on the Fantasia International Film Festival official site.

Electrophilia (Los Impactados) (2024) is directed by Lucía Puenzo. Ada (Marina Di Girolamo) is being admitted to the hospital, learning that she has been struck by lightning. The trauma has left an imprint of the lightning upon her body and a streak of white hair. She finds herself unable to navigate her life, hearing a constant buzzing, aversion to light and generally unable to associate with other people. Things start to look up when she finds an underground support group for those struck by lightning facing similar things to her. The group is led by enigmatic doctor Juan (Germán Palacios).

I dropped any expectations and managed to just enjoy this one. It was solidly built, very decent performances and even with the fantasy element, quite believable in this context. The movie is doing a little world building as it works out its particular lightning lore. Now some decisions are familiar takes of the genre, which I might call a variation of the fish-out-water character. In this case, this is a more of a fantasy thriller than a drama, as it seems to be slowly building up to something. The finale however opts for a more subdued happy resolution than a confrontation, which I appreciated.

Highly recommended. I do think some of the performances are strong but subdued, so if you feel a connection with the character you’ll be engaged throughout. But your mileage might vary since it’s one of those films that requires you to meet it halfway. Entertaining throughout for a decent watch if you feel enough of a spark.

That will do for now.