The Grandmother a.k.a. La Abuela (2021)

This is a Spanish horror film known as La Abuela (2021) or “Abuela”.

This film terrified me! I had to turn the lights back on and turn down the volume. I even wanted to fast-forward to get the anxiety over with…

Unfortunately, the last twenty minutes are ridiculous… and quickly relegate this film to the ranks of wasted time! It’s crazy!!!

Paco Plaza is the director known for the Rec films… or at least the first three: Rec (2007), Rec 2 – (2009) and Rec 3 – Genesis (2012). Rec 4 – Apocalypse (2014) was directed by Jaume Balagueró, who was also involved in the first two. Rec 4 no longer has Paco as director, but two actors named Paco are in the cast!

Jaume Balagueró is no stranger to mediocre films such as Muse (2017), but he still managed to make the very good Sleep Tight (2011).

The acting is excellent, flawless, but the film is endlessly boring…

If you want to pay to see an old lady naked who vomits three times in the film, go ahead! I don’t understand the point of these shots where the characters are naked, especially at the beginning.

If you love jump scares, this film doesn’t have any. However, it manages to maintain a certain tension. It doesn’t scare you easily. But it’s still a real disaster. The script is long and boring. I really don’t recommend it. The questions raised at the beginning of the script are never answered. The ending is incomprehensible, and I didn’t really understand the relationship between the two people at the end.

Nothing is well constructed, there is perpetual silence, a lot of silence in the film, to such an extent that you could hear the air conditioning in the cinema!

The basic idea is interesting, but it is never developed. It goes round in circles without ever taking off. Questions are answered only in the final minutes, but they are incomprehensible. And what about the cut hair? Is it a satanic ritual that you have to know the reference to understand? And the clocks that stop at a specific time? We don’t even know where this evil comes from!

The film goes in all directions… while going nowhere. At the same time, not much happens, apart from seeing the main character have nightmares and cry. The problem with ‘Abuela’ is that it forgot to write a credible story. The protagonist remains passive for far too long in the face of supernatural and disturbing situations. What resilience! Amazing!!!

This feature film takes far too long to tell a story that could be told in a short film, resulting in a major pacing problem and the constant question of where it is all leading.

The only one worth watching with older people is The Visit (2015). Avoid Old People (2022) and Abuela.

The film, though short, seems to last forever. I really feel like I wasted my time, but I must highlight the performances of the lead actresses, who are remarkable given the poor quality of the story.

The moral of the story: don’t take care of your elderly relatives, it saves a lot of trouble (especially if they practise black magic) and it saves the viewer from wasting another hour and a half.