If a year ago the person in charge of kicking off the Sitges festival was Jaume Balagueró, this year it had to be Paco Plaza’s turn. The history of the Sitges festival cannot be understood without the influence that these directors have had, either through projects in which they have worked together (Rec, Rec 2) or alone (Muse, Venus, Grandmother). They have been one of the main driving forces of national horror cinema in the last two decades and have worked tirelessly to build a film legacy that usually always has the city of Sitges as its first destination.
If you find something Sister Death and that already revealed his previous work The grandmother, Paco Plaza is already a veteran director, a director in capital letters. His most scoundrel and improviser character in films like Rec 3 seems to have been left behind to give free rein to a more methodical and sober but equally charming style. Sister Death It is a visually super careful film in which everything seems to be in its place, the art direction, costumes, the characterization of the characters, the photography direction, the framing; All the aesthetic factors of the film build a film of impeccable visual quality. This is the main support and attraction of a work that stands out most for its simplicity. A single setting, few characters and a narrative complexity very different from its predecessor Veronica which required a very different treatment. But Sister Death Despite its simplicity, it is not a simple complement to the already mentioned Veronica Nor is there any excessive gratuitousness to expand this universe. It is a work of horror that plays very well with its resources and where the framework of religion and the crisis of faith are perfect to develop a tremendously disturbing film. And when one has the feeling that Paco Plaza does not seem like he is going to surprise us with anything and his film is going to leave the festival simply with the adjective of “correct”, he gives us an absolutely delicious last section of film with a resolution that stands out for its originality.
If by some chance Paco Plaza plans to further expand the universe of Veronica With films that not only measure up but actually have something new to contribute, I doubt anyone will be able to put a stop to it. He has earned respect not only nationally but also internationally and and Sister Death manages to obtain an impact similar to that generated at the Sitges festival, it will end up becoming one of the most profitable and best-rated films on Netflix. Let’s cross our fingers.
Sister Death (Paco Plaza, 2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Source: https://www.cineenserio.com/festival-de-sitges-2023-hermana-muerte-de-paco-plaza/
