30 in 30: A MONTH OF HORROR. VERONICA
DAY 12
VERONICA (2017)
In case of doubt, play the hits.
Paco Plaza knows what he is doing when he crafts a film that checks all the boxes when it comes to creating a successful and popular horror film. I’m not trying to put the film down in any way by saying this; this film is scary and hits all the right queues of a mainstream horror film. This story is almost the European equivalent of THE CONJURING. It’s creepy, fun, and the perfect movie for a Halloween horror-fest.
For those of you who have not seen it, or need a quick brush up on the story here it is:
VERONICA is about a young girl who tries to summon the spirit of her recently deceased father, with the help of her friends during a solar eclipse, using a Ouija board. Veronica passes out during the summoning, and soon after she discovers a demon is haunting her and her younger siblings.
This movie mashes and mixes everything we’ve seen in the greatest flicks of the genre. For our academic purposes let’s break them down a bit to see how they interplay with each other.
The protagonist is a young girl who is drifting apart from her best friend. Teenage girls are a staple in horror films; we empathize with their troubles while also feeling protective over them as if they were our little sisters. Empathy to the max!
In the story, the single mother is almost out of the picture because she’s too busy working; Veronica is the one taking care of her siblings. Parental problems are present in many horror movies because kids being left to fend for themselves heightens the tension; we understand why they are alone, remember that ISOLATION is a big part of horror.
Now let’s take a look at the threat and where it comes from. We have a demon that haunts a family after playing with a Ouija board. Sound familiar? Ouija boards are used in the genre so often because is something we all have seen or have heard about someone using it. It makes the horror more relatable because it’s coming from something your cool aunt might have buried deep inside her closet.
Demons and supernatural threats, I’ve always felt, have been the most effective in horror because they don’t really have to adhere to any rules. The threat can be a Diabolus ex Machina. Anything bad can happen at any time, they don’t need an explanation because they are supernatural, our feeble minds are below the understanding of such horrors.
Inside this sandbox of classic horror concepts, Plaza creates a dreadful atmosphere. The scenes of this film spill tension and anxiety, all of this topped with genuinely great acting.
This movie is like going to a concert of your favorite band; you want them to play the hits. This is what Plaza does, and he takes everything that works in most horror movies and creates his own version of it.
The movie is also based on true events (like THE CONJURING) which give the film a really creepy ending.
Sometimes the horror genre can feel redundant, but Plaza shows that a classic story well told is still a great story.
Tomorrow: SESSION 9 (2001)
Yesterday: CARRIE (1978)
