Rosario Movie Review – A Clever Horror About Generational Curses and Sacrifice

Many modern horror movies chuck terrifying visuals at the audience for effect rather than symbolism. But not Rosario. Instead, this tidy terrifier acts as an extended metaphor for real-life fears, dealing with the themes of regret, guilt, and sacrifice. By the end of it, you may feel frustrated with certain characters’ actions, but there will be a deeper and clear understanding about their motivations.

Directed by Felipe Vargas from a script written by Alan Trezza, Rosario centers around Rosario “Rose” Fuentes (Emeraude Toubia). She’s a successful Wall Street stockbroker who lives the good life. One day, she receives several missed calls from her estranged grandmother, Griselda (Constanza Gutierrez). Eventually, Rose picks up and finds out from her grandmother’s landlord, Marty (Paul Ben-Victor), that Griselda is dead. Rose heads over to the apartment to wait for the ambulance to fetch her grandmother’s body, but a major snowstorm sees her locked in. Inside the apartment, Rose discovers a hidden room that showcases Griselda’s link to the Palo Mayombe religion and generational rituals. It isn’t too long before spooky happenings take place, as Rose finds out more about her family’s complicated history.

The Story Is Deeper Than You Think

At 88 minutes, Rosario doesn’t waste too much time with tangential subplots. It gets to the meat of the story fast and hardly wastes any scenes. Felipe Vargas and Alan Trezza certainly subscribe and believe in the filmmaking principle of Chekhov’s gun, because every narrative element matters here. Something might not make sense at first, but the ah-ha moments arrive as the film unfolds.

Vargas and Trezza could have easily concocted a stereotypical occult movie that’s all about curses and damnation, but Rosario is deeper than that. It’s about the immigrant experience, and what people go through to build a life in a new country. They have hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow for themselves and their family, but they also realize that traditional institutions are intentionally designed to work against them. No matter how hard they work or contribute to society, they are always seen as outsiders (coming from a family of immigrants, I related to and understood this concept all too well). But what can they do to change this? That’s what Rosario looks at.

Emeraude Toubia Paves The Way As Rosario

For large parts of Rosario, it’s Emeraude Toubia’s Rose on her own, as she encounters the literal and figurative demons of her past. What’s most appealing about Toubia’s Rose is how she comes across as a three-dimensional character – not an archetype of the genre. She’s strong but scared, but she also has a witty sense of humor about what’s happening. Toubia adds a special spark to the scenes when she walks in, sees something is off, turns around, and says, “Nope.” It’s both hilarious and welcoming to see a horror character behave in a rational way rather than run toward danger like a goof.

Diana Lein also plays a pivotal role here. It’s impossible to address her character without getting into spoiler territory, so in an attempt to preserve the surprise, I’ll just say that there’s more to her than meets the eye. By the time the credits roll, you’ll appreciate what Lein adds to Rosario both as a performer and presence. 

Another standout of the film is David Dastmalchian, who plays Griselda’s neighbor Joe. This poor guy just wants his airfryer back after Griselda’s death. He knocks on the door and asks for his kitchen appliance back countless times. Anyone who has ever lent something to a neighbor understands the trauma this man is going through to get back his stuff. Is it too late to start a GoFundMe to get Joe a new airfryer?

Is Rosario Worth Watching?

Rosario is a must-watch for horror fans, as it challenges the audience to look beyond the surface. It’s a well-written and executed film that uses the genre of horror to explore complex themes and emotions. I’m shocked to find out that this is only Felipe Vargas’ feature film debut, because he already possesses the hallmarks of a seasoned director and shows an exceptional eye for storytelling. As it stands, he’s set to direct the next Leprechaun movie, and if Rosario is anything to go by, he might have a banger in store for us there too.

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