The Argentinian supernatural horror film Luciferina (2018) is now available on Blu-ray thanks to Artsploitation Films. It’s the story of Natalia (Sofía Del Tuffo), a nineteen-year-old soon to be nun who is plagued by disturbing visions. When she is summoned back to her childhood home after the mysterious death of her mother, it quickly becomes apparent why she ran away two years ago to the seminary, never looking back. In short order, we discover thanks to her sister that her mother was painting these strange demonic images in the attic, which Natalia has experienced as visions. When confronted by her father, her mother attacked him shortly before killing herself, leaving him in shock and unable to speak. This has left the sisters with more than a few unanswered questions as they suspect something much darker to be the root of their parents’ altercation.
In an attempt to find answers the sisters travel to a distant temple deep in the Argentinian forest to take part in an ancient rite that is said to give the participant access to their past, thanks to visions granted by the ayahuasca vine. What they discover is a twisted tale that is a mind-bending mix of Argentinian mysticism, Catholicism, and good ol’ Satanism. Films that localize conventional horror tropes based on their culture always fascinate me, and Luciferina gives us a slightly different spin on possession, demons, and their relationship to Catholicism than horror fans are probably accustomed to. Take for instance the rite Natalia takes part in, being a Novice and aligned with the church. She has no issue with participating since these shamans and beliefs were the foundation of her people’s beliefs existing long before the Spanish brought Roman Catholicism to Argentina in the 16th Century. Not to mention how the film views abortions in context to the story thanks to the countries’ relationship to Catholicism.
Luciferina is an engaging watch with a story that doesn’t go quite where you expect it to, and is much better for it. Writer/Director Gonzalo Calzada (Resurrectión; The Clairvoyant’s Prayer) delivers a captivating and visually lush story that takes the viewer to some very dark places as Natalia unlocks the origin of her visions. Sofía Del Tuffo here in the lead turns a daring performance that skates a very fine line between vulnerable, artful, and exploitative. Thankfully her take on the character never falters as she takes the audience on this journey. Sofía is supported by an ensemble of characters, that while all fit their particular archetype in a horror film still manage to offer some surprises along the way. For those that were fortunate enough to catch Satan’s Slave, Luciferina is quite similar in that it’s a refreshing spin on a well-worn genre we are accustomed here in US and well worth checking out.
