Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022) User Reviews

A Room of Her Own

[aarpcats · 7/10 · 14 May 2023]

In 1929, Virginia Woolf argued that centuries of calcified gender roles and financial disparity had prevented women from realizing their true potential. To become whole, she thought they needed agency, control over their own lives that she expressed in the idea of "a room of her own."

For Woolf, that room was her own writing garret in a house she shared with her husband. For Valeria, the heroine of this movie, it is the craft room in the apartment she shares with her husband, Raul. That room is where she makes the furniture she sells for a living.

Valeria's room is the first thing she has to give up when she becomes pregnant. The next is apparently anything she is entitled to say or think about her own body, which is what we see as her husband and family decide what is best for her without even acknowledging that she is in the room. And so develops the theme of the movie.

Not all women want children. They may love them and want what is best for them, but they know that they don't what to take care of them. They also may not be attracted to or want to love a man.

The idea of being voluntarily childless and with another is hard enough in the US, but almost impossible in a place like Mexico where gender roles are more deeply defined. Valeria CAN'T be the woman Raul and her family want her to be, even if she wants to be. Her struggle to please them makes her feel like her very bones are breaking.

This movie uses the Mexican legend of "La Huesera" to tell women to embrace who they are. La Huesera is a spirit who collects wolf bones. When she has enough bones, she calls the wolf's spirit to come back to inhibit them. When the wolf does, they both run free.

In this movie, Valeria has to make hard choices to run free. But she does.

The movie isn't a horror movie. It's a parable about accepting yourself as you are, no matter what the cost is.

Absolutely Not a Horror Movie

[thalassafischer · 7/10 · 17 May 2023]

This is a great folk drama or supernatural drama but it's not a horror film at all. The only time in the entire film that I experienced horror was when I thought Val had thrown her baby out of the window or broken the infant's neck in a fit of post-partum sleep deprived psychosis.

Basically, a bisexual woman leaves her lesbian lover at a young age - late teens from all appearances - and attends college, gets into a serious relationship with a man, and becomes pregnant. All of the things she thought would make her happy.

It turns out the "demons" that she's fighting is simply that this was never the life she wanted. She doesn't like children, she doesn't want to be a mother, she's still in love with her lesbian ex from when she was younger, and she has to undergo an extreme ritual ceremony to make peace with leaving her male partner and newborn baby for the life she actually wants.

It's a good movie in many ways, but I don't consider it a horror movie.

I see so many reviews here saying that Valeria is somehow "irresponsible" or "avoiding motherhood" who missed the point completely. Mexican culture is still extremely traditional and there's a lot of pressure on women to be mothers. Clearly there also is in the conservative parts of the US too. This is basically a movie about a queer person trying to play straight and give society what it wants, only to break down and realize she's living a lie.

In the opening scene, Valeria doesn't seem to even be that into sex with her male partner. I noticed that right off the bat. Then he rejects her sexually while she's pregnant, and she turns back to her female lover, not to another man. I mean I think it's obvious what's actually going on here, and Valeria is not irresponsible at all - she realizes she could hurt the baby and is protecting the child by leaving. Plenty of folks would accept that a child is better off without its biological father, why not the biological mother?

This is a complex film about women and about how religion and traditional society forces people into roles they might not really want, like trying to force gay people to be straight or trying to force women to be mothers when they don't want to be.

A Personal Statement on the Dark Side of Motherhood

[FilmFanatic2023 · 7/10 · 11 February 2023]

A Mexican horror movie that explores the dark side of motherhood and its impact on a new mother, Valeria, who is tormented by an entity that cannot be named. The film takes a unique approach to the body horror and haunted house genres and presents them in an artfully crafted vessel that brings the characters and their relationships to life. The film won two major awards at the Tribeca Film Festival last summer.

Director Michelle Garza Cervera has a strong grasp on millennial color palettes and each shot in the film is beautifully composed and lit. The score and sound design also stand out for their ability to spike cortisol levels and make the Spanish-language punk tracks in the film seem soothing by comparison.

The most engaging aspect of the film is the characterization of Val, a woman caught between what she wants, what she thinks she should want, and what society wants for her. Val is a rebel with an anti-authoritarian punk rock past, and the idea that she is now a "Mama" first and a person second clearly bothers her. She doesn't take naturally to anything maternal, and her family's teasing about the time she.

Manage Your Expectations

[jfgibson73 · 6/10 · 17 July 2023]

This should not be categorized as a horror movie. You can see from other reviews that people are upset at their expectations not being met. Although it does have some horror-like scares, it is a different experience altogether, more of a character study. However, the way that the story unfolds requires patience and an open mind. There are some allegorical elements that are not explicitly made clear in the movie. This could lead to some viewers feeling like the story leaves too many details unexplained. I thought it was well-written and gave an interesting look into the experience of a young Mexican woman dealing with the limited options imposed on her by family and society. The few supernatural elements sprinkled in are a smaller part of the story, which is mostly a psychological drama. I ended up liking the main character, so that influenced my enjoyment of the film, but not every viewer is going to understand or support her choices.

Not your typical horror movie of the genre.

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 16 January 2024]

Valeria just found out she is pregnant, and she and her husband Raul are ecstatic. We then notice her withdrawing a bit from Raul with her joy and enthusiasm dwindling. One night, she witnesses a woman jump from her apartment window, but all is not what it seems.

Soon after, Valeria starts sensing and seeing things. Is it her imagination? Is she hallucinating? Or is it something far more sinister? If you've watched 'Huesera: The Bone Woman', then the answer will be obvious, but I'm not doing spoilers here for those who haven't seen it yet!

The film offers so many creepy moments and disturbing images. This is not your average Hollywood-style possession movie and some viewers might be disappointed in that regard. The narration makes the viewer wonder and question what is real, and what is a figment of Valeria's imagination. It also doesn't explain everything as clearly as most mainstream movies do. Either way, it makes for a disturbing watch in the vein of 'Under the Shadow', while the ending (sort of) reminded me of 'The Witch'.

The film takes a bit of a dip around the end of the second act and into the third, but Natalia Solián's fantastic performance as Valeria kept me interested and wanting more. The ending is not what I expected, but then again, this is not your average horror movie and it is unpredictable.

Motherhood

[captainpass · 6/10 · 22 May 2023]

"Huesera" begins with "Valeria" dropping off flowers at the base of the Virgen Monumental de Ocuilan and ends right after she participates in a restorative, native rite. In between, we find out that Valeria is a former punk-rocker with a love of bass guitars, power tools and a certain "Octavia." What is she in the present?

That is the central question is this rather well-done entry. The Valeria of the present is a woman who has (uneasily) embraced a conventional marriage to "Raul," an ad exec with wealthy parents. She lives in an upscale apartment, and she is pregnant with their first child. Yet as time passes, she appears to be the victim of increasingly violent hallucinatory episodes that lead her family and husband to grow both concerned for and irritated with her. "Pull it together," is the implied mantra; "a child is a blessing."

While the obvious comparison is to "Rosemary's Baby," the film - to its credit- veers more in the direction of such psychological thriller/horror films as Altman's "Images." And despite a fairly large cast, this movie really is about a single woman's POV - Valeria (played here by Natalia Solián) - and it is her world -- her frustrations, her fears, her sense of ambiguity, rejection and pain -- that are front and center for the duration of the film. Her attempts to negotiate the expectations of others -- often cruelly rejected by those others -- lead her to an increased debilitation that almost result in absolute tragedy. It is her (similarly outcast) aunt who helps her on her way to a restoration of self.

The film is a definite slow burn. But if you enjoy a more overtly psychological exploration of a woman-at-the-margins, torn between seemingly opposing social contexts, this might work for you.

No bueno

[eldanjuanvicente · 3/10 · 1 March 2023]

Depressing, unfocused, shallow and with a HORRIBLE final message: "Oops, I was wrong about the life I chose to have, so I'm abandoning my newborn daughter like I abandon an old outfit I don't want to wear anymore". Besides that, the acting is bad (especially the over-the-top lead actress) and the "horror" is an afterthought. In fact, you'll need a very subjective mind to even understand what happened, as there's no explanation in the script. The opening scene gives the wrong feeling that it would be a culturally interesting and exotic film, but unfortunately it's just a drama about a selfish, annoying and horrible person.

Mexican horror done right

[amandamunozdav · 9/10 · 10 February 2023]

For Valeria, becoming a mother is her biggest goal and desire. But, not everything is color pink after receiving the big news that she's in fact pregnant. Everything and everyone around her turns into a negative energy that forces Valeria to return to her past and dig up her real desires and identity. The exploration of motherhood is a well known subject in the horror genre since the release of Rosemary's Baby back in 1968. After that we have seen it over and over with the same outcome but this time the director brings a whole new perspective and approach creating a powerful and haunting horror film.

Huesera (The Bone Woman) takes motherhood and combines it with Mexican myths, folklore and body horror. This added to the outstanding performance of Natalia Solián as Valeria and mesmerizing cinematography, turns Huesera into one of the best Mexican horror films ever made. The film relies heavily in symbolism, specifically spiders, Mexican religious beliefs and superstitions instead of just jumps scares creating a tense and heavy atmosphere. Natalia Solián carries the film and gives a convincing and memorable performance throughout the whole film without missing a bit. Her struggle to find her true self and happiness can be felt creating an emotional connection with the viewer.

The internal battle of Valeria and her family situations that are presented are relatable and real life experiences that any woman could have in her life. Huesera feels genuine, and its a raw representation of how the expectations of everyone around you can force you to a life that you don't want but you're convinced that is the right path in life.

Finally the drought is over

[Chepech · 7/10 · 1 March 2023]

It's been quite a while since I've seen a good Mexican horror film. Huesera is a very competent movie, the script is concise, dialogs are real, characters are well developed and tridimensional. Acting is on point, great casting of mostly debuting actors. There is a lot to unpack in terms of the symbolism and the underlying arc. Mental health, religious iconography, which come together to narrate a path through the anguish of motherhood and living a false life. All of this is artistically depicted in the great visuals, first class photography and most of all in a masterful sound design and edition.

Slow paced and devoid of horror...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 20 February 2023]

I have to say that the synopsis for this 2022 Mexican horror movie titled "Huesera" definitely sounded interesting. I hadn't heard about the movie prior to getting the chance to sit down here in 2023 to watch it. And with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to watch it.

I had no expectations to the movie, as I knew nothing about it, aside from whatever little was mentioned in the synopsis, so writers Michelle Garza Cervera and Abia Castillo had every chance to entertain, impress and bedazzle me with the script and storyline for the movie.

However, "Huesera" turned out to be a slow burn of a horror movie, and with heavy emphasis on slow. Man, talk about a slow and boring narrative. Nothing, and I mean that literally, happened of any worth throughout the snail paced narrative. I managed to endure a staggering hour of torment of the 97 minutes that the movie ran for. Then I just gave up out of sheer and utter boredom. There was nothing interesting taking place on the screen, and the narrative was so slow that it was an ever growing struggle to keep faking an interest in the storyline.

It should be noted, however, that the acting performances in "Huesera" were actually good. Just a real shame that the actresses and actors literally had nothing worthwhile to work with in terms of a properly interesting and entertaining script.

Visually then "Huesera" was nothing noteworthy. There was nothing particularly spectacular to see on the screen. And as for director Michelle Garza Cervara's "Huesera" movie being a horror movie, yeah well, that might be stretching the term quite a bit. Unless, of course, an insanely slow paced narrative counts as horror.

"Huesera" is not a movie that I will recommend for horror fans to venture out and get to watch. It just simply isn't worth the effort.

My rating of "Huesera" lands on very, very generous three out of ten stars, as the movie's production value does seem good.

Review for Husera

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 8/10 · 8 March 2023]

This is a movie that caught my attention when looking at what was playing at the Gateway Film Center. When I learned that this was horror, I put it on a list of ones to check out and see what worked with my schedule. This one I caught on Sunday without knowing too much aside it being in genre, foreign and a 2023 release. I've also given it a rewatch to see where I stand for my end of year list.

Synopsis: Valeria (Natalia Solián) has long dreamed of becoming a mother. After learning that she's pregnant, she expects to feel happy and yet, something's off.

We start this with Valeria and her mother going up steps. They seem to be doing a superstitious ritual of sorts. This duo is going to a monument of the virgin Mary. The reason behind it is that Valeria and her husband, Raúl (Alfonso Dosal), are trying to get pregnant. We see them prepping things and there is excitement. They are cautiously optimistic.

It then happens for them. Raúl is enthusiastic and Valeria, although not on his level, is happy too. They share this information with both their families. We see that Raúl's mother might be a bit overbearing toward Valeria. Her family has a different dynamic. Her sister, Vero (Sonia Couoh), has children and Valeria isn't good with them. Vero is shocked that she wants to have her own. She never has offered to watch hers. It feels like there is a history between the two that isn't great. This rubs Valeria the wrong way and she offers to watch her niece and nephew. Part of this seems to prove a point to herself and to her family.

Valeria also must give up more than it seems her husband does. She has a room that is her workshop. She makes things with wood. This will become the baby's nursery. This is normal for new parents. One night though, when she can't sleep, Valeria thinks she sees a woman jump to death from across the road. She wakes up Raúl, but there's no body. She is then haunted by this entity. It causes her anxiety that she cracks her knuckles and other bones in her body. Almost to the point of dislocation. This couple also encounters an old friend of Octavia (Mayra Batalla). She never left the neighborhood where Valeria's parents live. These two women also have more of a history.

Now that is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to characters. Where I want to start is that this hit home for me. When I first watched this movie, my wife and I just welcomed a child into our life. The situation there was harrowing as our daughter, Mackenzie, had to spend time in the NICU. Things are fine now, but I wanted to lay this out for people that didn't know. Seeing Raúl and Valeria wanting to become parents and everything that comes with it connected with me. It also adds horror as well.

With those opening thoughts out there, let me delve more into the meat of the movie. There are a few things I want to go over. I think the first will be new parents. This can be scary without something supernatural potentially happening. I know when we brought home our daughter, we didn't sleep for the first week. If we did, it wasn't restful. We also didn't get enough. It wasn't even necessarily Mackenzie doing anything. It was just the fear that she would stop breathing. Raúl seems to be handling things better than Valeria. They also have their daughter in her crib in a different room and using a monitor. That would help since you can't hear every little thing that snaps you awake with fear. There is a terrifying scene though when we see something happening on the monitor and one of the characters doesn't. That scene made me tear up just thinking what if that happened to my child. I realize I'm bringing something to the table not everyone does, but it helped me connect.

I then want to shift this over to Valeria. This is told from her perspective. She seems ready to be a mother. We see when that responsibility is there, she might not actually be though. The alternative is that it is harder than she imagined. This is all true. I like this doubt as I've experienced it as well. Valeria seemingly must give up her hobby. She also had bigger dreams of getting away from this city. She gave up when her brother passed away and she wanted to fill the void with her mother. She was in a band with Octavia and Valeria decided to 'grow up'. Octavia still has dreams of getting out, she just hasn't yet. Valeria and she may have been more than just friends as well. I get the idea that Valeria feels trapped and losing control of her life. This is another interesting idea to explore.

Now let me get to the supernatural aspects. I did a quick search to see if this is lore that was real. I'm only finding things about this movie so it feels like our writers, Michelle Garza Cervera and Abia Castillo, made it up for this. I love what they're doing though. It almost feels like a curse you'd get from Japanese movies like Ringu or Ju-On. Valeria sees this woman across the way kill herself. We see that she might not be dead either. From there, it gets into their apartment. Valeria sees it elsewhere. This brings in body horror with Valeria cracking her knuckles and other parts of her body. She takes it so far that I'm afraid when it happens that she is going to dislocate that part of her body. That made me cringe and I love it. There might not be an entity though. This is pushing that it could just be in her head and manifesting her fears in the world. No one else sees it and it is just the aftermath of things. Going this route can be hit or miss for me. It works here though. It creeped me out what they do with it. For what it is worth, I do think this is all in her head and she is doing different things. It doesn't take away anything for me though. This is partum and post-partum depression.

Since I've brought up the body horror, let me go over to filmmaking. I'll start with the effects. We get this in the form of CGI, but I don't have issues with it. This movie isn't working with the biggest budget. There is a good amount of this that looks practical and it had me squirming in my seat. I loved that. There were times where I could tell it was done with computers, but with how I read the movie, that is fine. I'm not taking points off for it. I also think that the cinematography helps as well. Things happen in the corners of the frame. That creeps me out. There is soft focus to hide aspects as well. This works in conjunction with the sound design. Hearing bones crack made this even scarier for me. I think this is a well-made film across the board.

All that is then left to go into would be with the acting. I thought that Dosal was good as our rock. He is grounded and trying to pull Valeria there. I wish he would listen to her more, but I also understand why he doesn't. The true star here though is Solián. There are equal parts frustration and compassion that I feel toward her. That is a great job to get me to feel that way about a character. When you are dealing with things that are out of your control, whether it is hormonal or supernatural, it can be nearly impossible alone. She does isolate herself though as well. Batalla is solid as almost this 'temptation'. She is just living her life though and it is no one else's fault. In support I'll also give credit to Martha Claudia Moreno, Couoh, Samantha Castillo, Aida López, Mercedes Hernández, Enoc Leaño and the rest are all solid.

In conclusion, this is a movie that I didn't know much about and I had no expectations. This movie captivated me. There are things here that I've experienced that helped me to connect so I understand that not everyone will get out of this what I did. We have an interesting story. I like the lore they established. This is also a well-made movie so that helps as well. This is a dark horse that could be a contender for my end of year. Upon that rewatch, this held up for me. Barring we get a flurry to end the year, I wouldn't be shocked if this is in my final top ten list.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

Good film.

[jp_91 · 7/10 · 24 February 2023]

"Huesera" is a good Mexican movie whose script is quite interesting involving drama and psychological horror. The script is influenced by "Rosemary's Baby", achieving a twisted story with elements of body horror and supernatural horror, unfolding from the perspective of a young woman from lower class urban suburbs who rises to an upper middle class, finding herself caught between the superstitious life where she grew up and a more civilized life where she finds herself married and with better life opportunities. The performances are good, highlighting the leading actress. The special effects do their job and are well done. The cinematography is decent and the camera movements play an important role during the suspenseful scenes. A good movie worth watching.

I know others loved this but...

[avalonshores · 2/10 · 31 March 2023]

I had such high hopes after reading all the glowing reviews, but was terribly disappointed. It just wasn't scary to me at all, and I'm a mother so I should have been able to grasp the concept of fear related to pregnancy - maybe it's a cultural thing and I just missed it, but I really wanted to be chilled and never got there. I thought Natalia Solian had one expression throughout the entire film and I could not develop enough empathy with her character to buy into her distress. I did enjoy peripheral elements like the Mexican punk scene and the thematic use of color (pink), and there were a couple of genuinely creepy scenes, but it never truly scared me. I don't want to be a hater because obviously a lot of people loved this film but sadly, I was not among them.

Good body horror film, but a confusing end.

[icocleric · 6/10 · 15 May 2023]

There is a strobe warning here, there is a fairly long scene in a nightclub with strobes lasting the scene. The strobes stop when the music does.

Overall it was a good film with some nice moments. I liked it covered the stresses and expectations of motherhood, as well as an evil spirit plaguing the main character. No one believes her except for an auntie, who tries to help.

And a lot of choices are took out of the main characters hands, which seemed definitely intentional. The body horror along side pregnancy is a really nice touch. She does have conflicting emotions about her life too.

I found the end a little disappointing and confusing though, it never explained why she had to leave her child after she completes a ritual to get rid of the spirit plaguing her. I wish it just had a bit more dialog at the end.

[6.4] Smiles, senses and sorrows

[cjonesas · 6/10 · 24 November 2023]

A beautiful, semi-incomprehensible film (for me), "artistically" made about the dreads, faints and crazy fears of pregnancy and motherhood (in general) and having some of the best torsional & contorsional human "pyramids" and bone-breaking movie experiences felt by earth viewers.

It is more horrorful master/slave sort of symbolism than pure dramatic horror (what an interesting expression). As such, viewers were having some great expectations before being thrown back and baffled by the simple ending.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 5
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 7
• Entertainment: 6.5
• Acting: 7
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
• VFX: 8
• Music/score/sound: 6.5
• Depth: 7
• Logic: 5
• Flow: 6.5
• Drama/horror: 6.5
• Ending: 3.

Very average with a few worthwhile horror elements

[kevin_robbins · 6/10 · 19 May 2023]

Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022) is a Mexican horror movie that I recently watched on Shudder. The storyline follows a young lady with a checkered past who has settled down with a good man and decided it's time to have a baby and start a family. Unfortunately, some things from her past may come back to haunt her and spoil her plans.

This movie is directed by Michelle Garza Cervera (Mexico Barbaro 2) and stars Natalia Solián (Red Shoes), Alfonso Dosal (Narcos: Mexico), Mayra Batalla (Prayers for the Stolen), Sonia Couoh (Potosi) and Mercedes Hernández (Identifying Features).

The storyline for this movie is fairly straightforward but well executed. The acting is very good, the settings are well selected and the story is well paced. The horror elements have great sound effects and some worthwhile open wounds that make you cringe. The last 15 minutes of the movie does a great job flipping on its head and contains fantastic horror elements. The people at the end of this movie are very creepy and perfectly executed...though I wish the movie got there faster. I also wish they dug a little deeper into the main character's past and into the things she needed to do to survive.

Overall, this movie is very average with a few worthwhile horror elements. I would score this a 5.5-6/10 and strongly recommend it.

I don't know what I want. The movie.

[djlopno · 4/10 · 7 March 2023]

This movie is lost between trying to create, horror, and a female empowering movie about motherhood. Sadly, is none of them. Instead we get an annoying and irresponsible 30yo lady who at the beginning wants to be a mother, the. Regrets it because when she was young she drop a baby to whom nothing happened. She hallucinates strange hunting images in an attempt to stop her pregnancy(?). It's hard to care about her journey when all she does is avoid responsibility and constantly cries to make herself look like the victim. I laughed at the dumb dialogue and stupid decisions that everyone makes. This is lost film that doesn't know what it wants to be. Even if it attempts to be political, which is not, is just an immature person who doesn't what she wants.

A fantastic female-driven genre effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 9/10 · 4 March 2023]

After receiving news that she's pregnant, an expectant mother-to-be finds that the supposed joy of the news is met with scoff and ridicule from those around her at the disbelief that she can't go through with it and slowly comes undone by a demonic spirit and the pressure of motherhood bestowed upon her.

This was a fantastic genre effort that has quite a lot to like about it. One of the film's strongest aspects here is the incredibly deep and almost spiritual bent that gets featured here surrounding the occasion of motherhood. Rather than embrace the expected joy and pride at being able to follow through on her dreams of finally being a mother, this one goes to great lengths to make that something akin to mockery with everyone around her either ridiculing the announcement, reminding her of past indiscretions that signal otherwise or just straight up doubting her based on her past which those around her constantly bring up. This starts to affect her to the point of seriously believing their criticisms and taking the joy out of the prospective euphoria of motherhood which is a fine featured storyline. That goes hand-in-hand with the films' generally unnerving horror scenes which are quite well handled throughout here. Already on edge and underwhelmed by the prospect of motherhood through everything else going on around her, the introduction of a mysterious, shadowy spirit that she can't see but can feel and experience the effects of its presence adds even more to the unworthy feelings she has. With her experiences being genuinely frightening including the attack in her house where it snaps her foot or the encounter with the neighbors while babysitting that results in no one believing her stories, there's a lot to go off here that is enhanced incredibly well with the finale featuring a series of incredibly brutal and harrowing experiences that ties together the folklore behind the being and her experience as a mother. These all bring quite a lot to the film and hold it up incredibly well. There's not much that holds it back but it does have some minor flaws. Among its biggest detriments is the somewhat troubling series of events set up here to get the idea of her misappropriated motherhood desires. So much of this is based on warping the incidents to such a degree of absurdity that it feels like a parody of the formula more than anything with the outlandish means through which she's blamed for what's going on. Several of the scenarios are improbably embellished to feel like a parody of human interactions in the way she starts to feel anxious or pressured into following through on the pregnancy based on these interactions in the way they come off. That does go along somewhat with the lack of explanation regarding the main creature which is basically nameless in the film and has very little context with what she does, furthering the idea of everything happening in her mind quite easily. It's all that really brings this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Nudity, and a sex scene.

Breaks all expectations - Not for everyone. But good.

[Scodelli · 7/10 · 16 May 2023]

This is a tricky movie to review.

Before I watched it I checked it on imdb and saw alot of views saying "this is not a horror movie!".

That is half right. Maybe 65% right.

The movie plays out like a drama. But there are reoccurring horror elements in the story.

But it feels more like a drama.

As far as modern horror movies go, the movie is fairly tame over all.

The ending sequence does really bring the horror for the last 20 minutes or so.

The problem is people will expect a typical horror movie. They will be expecting everything associated with the horror genre.

And that is not what this movie does and many people will hate it because of that.

The movie description doesn't help out matters either. From that movie description line I was expecting quite a different plot line and it took me quite a while to realize the description line was nonsense.

Is it a horror movie? Maybe. Not for alot of people.

But the film is structured around horror. The whole story is based on horror.

But as I said it plays out as a drama. You could use the term "horrodrama" to describe this but I do think the film is a little light on the horror for that term.

But the horror elements in the movie are psychological. Very strong but implicit.

A horror fan used to just slashers, violent survival stories, all out haunting stories or anything like that is probably going to be very disappointed.

I do believe their is a strong horror to the story but it is psychological, it is implicit, it is between the lines. It's doesn't come out in a bunch of intense scenes, though the movie has it's moments sprinkled in.

The film is also a slow burn.

So here you have subtle horror, moments sprinkled in here and there, in a slow burn movie.

So this is definitely not for everyone.

To really appreciate this movie you have to get into the drama of the story and feel for the main character. Which was easy for me.

The drama aspects of this movie are very good.

It's not token drama or filler or some weak thing put in to bolster a typical horror movie.

The drama and the story are very good so I actually didn't mind this movie playing out as a drama.

So feel free to role the dice on this one.

I like it and found it good but I can certainly see why alot of people wouldn't.

So not waste your time.

[neastman-48606 · 1/10 · 14 April 2023]

Not even a movie, it is a montage of disconnected feministic ideals that fails to produce a resemblance of a story line, let alone a plot or even a scare. The only horror to be found here is the realization that you wasted your time watching the whole "movie". Just watch the trailer and leave it at that I would give it a -star if possibly. This is why I no longer trust any user based rating system. This is not even a slow burn. It is utterly devoid of the bare minimal qualifications of a story, yet it is passed off as movie. The coup de gras is you have to pay to watch this. Save your money, save your time, and save yourself from feeling the need to warn others in a review. 100% DO NOT RECOMMEND .

Not serial Mom

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 17 September 2022]

No pun intended here - especially because the movie Serial Mom has nothing in common with this one right here. But the pun seemed to good to not use. So you have a woman who is about to become a mother - and a lot of people doubting her - well her abilities to be one. The question is: are they right? And what is it that makes her afraid? And see things that is of course.

The movie has a lot of connections and a lot of allegories ... and quite the horror part within itself. What really elevates the whole thing? The sound design is amazing by the way! Foley work and generally the work that was done on the movie in that departments ... it deserves all the praise.

Actors are really good too. But it is overall a slow burn. And while you may have to answer some of the questions yourself (and check reality or whatever you want to call it), the movie is quite straight when it comes to its end ... and it works more than well.

Dull horror, worse drama

[LuisPunisher · 6/10 · 8 June 2023]

Despite some cool horror scenes, Huesera is a boring, slow-paced drama that doesn't really go anywhere, nor does it leave any sort of message.

In the film there is the subplot of the main character and her gay relationship with her best friend, which is used as an excuse that she has a second identity, but this relationship never really comes to anything relevant, and neither does her relationship with her husband to be honest. It is simply the typical dose of mandatory forced inclusion these days.

Also many of the decisions and actions of the characters (especially some very important ones) are quite questionable, not to say stupid, and it is impossible not to cringe at the protagonist every time. Not to mention that the acting, especially of the main characters, is quite mediocre. It seems that in order not to include any caucasian characters (because there are no caucasians in Mexico, of course) they chose any actor they could find.

In itself a boring movie as a drama, and dull as a horror, Huesera fails twice as much.

Don't waste your time. Overrated and never delivers

[aka_allghoi_khorhoi · 1/10 · 5 July 2023]

Let me save you two hours of your time: With a decent first act with a pair of good jump scares at the beginning, after the first twenty minutes all goes down. It becomes a bizarre and pretentious lesbian projection without a logical narrative, a plausible development, explanation or rational conclusion, it's just the director's wet dream and propaganda, if you want to watch an horror movie don't waste your time. The main character is a cliché at tears and sobbing in every moment of the film, stereotypes and resentment in a lazy political/ideological statement that only provoques a constant non stopping eye rolling fest.

the daemon of motherhood

[dromasca · 7/10 · 17 April 2024]

'Huesera' (2022) is the debut feature film of Mexican director Michelle Garza Cervera. And what a debut! The director, who is also a co-writer, has imagined a story that combines psychological thriller with elements of horror, tackles feminist themes and explores female psychology during pregnancy and the immediate post-natal period with an intensity worthy of the great masters of cinematic art. Not everything works in this film, but what we saw in the 93 minutes that the film lasts is the promise that this is a significant first film by a female filmmaker who can become a name in the world of cinema.

Valeria and Raúl are an ordinary Mexican couple. They have wanted a child for a long time and for this Valeria will travel with her mother on a pilgrimage to a huge golden statue of the Holy Virgin. She seems to answer prayers and Valeria becomes pregnant. The two spouses begin to plan and prepare for the baby's arrival, she builds a wonderful bed and transforms her carpentry workshop into the baby's future room. One night something happens. Valeria sees a woman throwing herself from the second floor of the building across the street and breaking her legs. Until she calles Raúl, the woman had disappeared. Nightmare? Hallucination? Other visions also happen. Memories also return - of an incident in the past when she had fallen with the child of neighbors in the arms, of the adventurous youth in which she had had an affair with another woman. In the eyes of those around her, even Raúl's, her ability to be a good mother starts to be questioned. The birth of the baby girl should bring things back to normal, but not only is that not happening, the crisis is deepening.

What happens to Valeria is an open question. Is it mental disorders, natural to some point during pregnancy or after birth? Or maybe the young woman represses her sexuality and desire for freedom under social and family pressure? Or maybe it's about something deeper and stranger. Mexico is a country that lives between tradition and modernity, between reality and magic. Valeria finds herself also between the two worlds. The solution to her problems will also belong to the world of magic. The ending is a variation on a legend that gives the film its name, but what we see is in terms of reality an abandonment, in terms of magic a liberation. The performer of the main role - Natalia Solián - is extraordinary. It can be seen that she worked on the role for a long time together with the director. The cinematography is also of very good quality, with the symbolism of the cobweb trap returning in different visual forms. Not everything works in this film, the horror scenes do not always manage to create the expected effects, but the minuses in the effects are compensated by the eyes and the face of the actress who shouts her feelings beyond the screen. 'Huesera' is a special and impressive film, a spectacular debut.

Formulaic gravid body horror

[bertrandma · 5/10 · 30 March 2023]

There's something inherently anachronistic, repressed and disturbing to the idea of 'feminity' in our supposedly post-gender cultures. We've seen a number of outstanding 'independent' horror films exploring this theme over the past decade, and I was looking forward to seeing what this might look like away from Anglo-Saxon conventions. Unfortunately it looks like we have reached the point were this new 'genre' is established enough to become formulaic. Huesera is certainly not a bad film: It is well acted (Solián manages to give substance to a thankless character), it is filmed well enough and both costumes and location have character without being distracting. The script is no-nonsense and to the point. In the background there are even some fine pieces of social observation (the couple's very different families, the working class 'witches'). But unfortunately, for the most part, the scenario is a patchwork of worn-out clichés: ye ol' Japanese disarticulated crawling creature, ye ol' helpless middle-class husband, ye ol' serial hallucinations prompting no concrete reaction, and so on. In 'psychological horror' you need either a new idea or a strong and original character to drive your story. Huesera is not original, and Valeria, with her Riot Grrrl mid-life crisis, is neither credible nor likable, with self-pity alone connecting her punk years and her married life. I'll gladly watch another Cervera, because it seems to me she has what it takes to make some great films. Unfortunately, this is not one of them.