All of them Witches (1996) User Reviews

A very well done Mexican horror film!

[jluis1984 · 7/10 · 23 June 2006]

During the last half of the 90s, Mexican cinema had a resurgence that has kept constant through these days. Movies like "Cilantro y Perejil", "Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas" and "Todo el Poder" were only the beginning of this modernization in which the Mexican cinema basically resurrected from the underground state it had been living even in its homeland. "Sobrenatural" was one of the first "new Mexican cinema" films to come out, but what makes it stand out even among other Mexican movies, is the fact that it is the only horror movie of that generation.

"Sobrenatural" is the story of Dolores Berthier (Susana Zabaleta), a young woman that is emotionally affected after witnessing how her best friend is killed at her apartment's doorstep. Her husband Andres (Alejandro Tommasi), afraid of the violent city, prefers that Dolores stay in the apartment as she recovers from her emotional breakdown. But the greatest danger is not outside, but inside, where Dolores begins to experience what seems to be a series of supernatural events apparently linked to her friend's death. Is this witchcraft or is she only delusional?

Directed by Daniel Gruener, "Sobrenatural" is a story of paranoia, isolation and confusion set in an apartment in the same style of Polanski's Apartment Trilogy ("Repulsion", "Le Locataire" and "Rosemary's Baby"); the film is filled with many references to Polanski's work and in fact the English name of the film is "All of Them Witches", a clear reference to "Rosemary's Baby". Gruener crafts a movie that pays true homage to its influences without being too much of a rip off and keeping a distinctive style.

The story, by Gabriel González Meléndez, uses effectively the suspense and mystery, focusing on Dolores' own fears, paranoia and disbelief; even when the story drags a bit, it is never a problem and doesn't become tedious or boring. Elements such as the fear to the outside world and the fight between science and spiritualism are also among the themes explored and while at times the film feels rushed, it moves at the right slow pace for the most part. Gruener's camera-work enhances the atmospheric tone of the film relaying more on mood and dread than in graphic gore or sudden scares.

Susana Zabaleta gives an inspired performance and carries the movie with grace and power. Most of the success of the film relays on her and she succeeds as Dolores, a woman who is discovering a world bigger than what she thought. Tomassi is less convincing, and is probably the weakest link in the cast. Ricardo Blume as Dolores' psychiatrist and Delia Casanova as Madame Endor are very good in their parts and a small but effective cameo by the legendary Roberto Cobo completes a, for the most part, well assembled cast.

Gruener's horror film is not without flaws, as at times the pacing feels too rushed for the kind of film he tries to achieve. The script has some problems although for the most part it is very well developed. The film had some changes done by the studio that produced it, so one can't be sure if this is exactly what Gruener desired; however, the result is quite good and certainly better than the average horror film.

"Sobrenatural" may not be a perfect film, but it is a different option for those wanting to discover modern horror films that don't relay on typical themes. Polanski's fans will appreciate the film's many references to his work and horror fans interested in foreign cinema may find it refreshing as it is an atypical and very well done Mexican horror film. 7/10

Slow-burning witchcraft horror

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 6/10 · 29 October 2012]

A woman begins receiving strange visions after opening a letter containing a mystical powder, and soon thereafter finds it's connected to a voodoo curse and must be stopped before it harms her and her friends.

This one wasn't really all that spectacular and turned out to be quite disappointing. Most of this is because it really doesn't do anything at all and spends a great deal of time not doing much of anything. While the concept of having bizarre visions may be horrific to those experiencing them, on film they play out so ordinarily and boring that the film appears to be so slow as to be utterly lifeless and uninteresting. Eventually it does get better towards the end when the zombified owner does get around to making an appearance and that leads to some fun in the apartment showdown being chased around by such a creepy and visually imposing presence, and the atmosphere does give off a nice suspenseful vibe, yet the fact remains that this one is just so dull and lifeless that this one really doesn't have a lot to recommend about it.

Rated R: Violence and Graphic Language

Candy for the eye with some effective scares.

[insomniac_rod · 13 November 2004]

Surprisingly, this is a very underrated Mexican movie from the called new generation of Mexican film makers.

The cinematography has to be the best of "Sobrenatural". It's very stylish and visually stunning that catches the viewers' attention. The suspense is very well done because there are many camera takes before "something" occurs and ends the tension of the scene. There are some scenes that make the audience jump but are justified.

The suspense of the movie relies on the forces of nature that men can't explain but exist.

Susana Zabaleta is great in the lead role. She's very sexy and can act.

Watch this underrated Mexican movie if you have the chance. There is no gore or violence but the suspense generated by the "supernatural" forces make this a watchable "ghost" movie.

7/10.

Visually Arresting

[archive1 · 8/10 · 15 November 2002]

I never saw this movie with English subtitles, and my Spanish is not the best, but Telemundo ran this on Halloween a few years ago and I taped it. I would put this film in the very top tier of horror films, as gripping as Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby" and Romero's "Night of the Living Dead". Director Gruener gets to the real root of the horrific; that horror is not some lunatic standing outside your door with an axe, per se, but a human reaction to trauma and isolation. He emphasises this idea by frequently contrasting the wealth of the young couple at the center of the action with the poverty, misery and superstition found in any Third World country. As the young woman decends to the verge of insanity, she finds herself more and more in contact with this gutteral, almost bestial world that all their luxury cannot protect her from. The shattered fishbowl of the opening scene is used as a metaphor(I think) for the narrow margin between these two worlds; wealth and poverty,the beautiful (Suzane Zamora is an eyeful!) and the grotesque; the sane and the mad. A great film, thoughtfully and sensitively presented!

Horrible horror film

[s_copa · 3/10 · 3 October 2000]

The makers of this film have confused the horror genre with one all their own; the Horrible.

I was initially very intrigued by the synopsis for this film. Witches, voodoo, Latin America, and a secret cult provided many interesting possibilities. However, one immediate preoccupation dominated the film. The director seemed engrossed with creating "inventive" camera angles. All of Them Witches/Sobrenatural is the antithesis of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in this respect, and places style above substance, which I in fact have time for when there is style in the first place. For example, the aquarium in the psychiatrist's office released a small eruption from time to time, perhaps trying to underscore the volatility of the situation, but in effect resembled underwater flatulence, such as children are wont to do in the bath after a meal of baked beans and stewed prunes.

The performances by the two lead actors was wooden, for lack of a better word, so bland that I won't even go into it.

Both Ed Wood and Roger Corman proved that even bad films can have endearing qualities. The fact that this doesn't, makes it beyond bad.

intelligent, suspenseful, beautiful

[withnail-4 · 9/10 · 6 October 2000]

excellent film making. Very effective interweaving of psychological and supernatural effects that keep you wondering about what is really going on. Very strong, intelligent visual style. Only the very best quality films, like this one, can keep you engrossed through long sequences with no dialogue with only the power of images, thrilling you without any gore whatsoever. none. the subjective camera angles produce such a feeling of terror and uncertainty, you don't need any gore. The main actress gives a great performance. I would rank this up with Cronos, but Cronos is more unique, "fantastical" and bloodier. But the same level of excellent film making.

Scary little movie

[galensaysyes · 8/10 · 28 December 2001]

Another study in the dreadfulness of closeted urban living, the gnawing fear of what threat lurks on the landing outside the door, up the next bend of the stairs, or, oh my God, inside, this is in direct line of succession from The Seventh Victim, Rosemary's Baby, Sleepwalk, Nomads, Blue, and so on. The character hides inside, runs outside, trusts and distrusts. The first scene, which sets her off, is one of the simplest frightening scenes, or most frightening simple scenes, I can remember. The performance of the distraught and helpless heroine teeters on the edge of absurdity all the way through, but the two characters she is torn between--which should she trust? which is the threat?--are so ambiguously sinister (the fortune teller is especially well played), one understands her erratic behavior; I'd be in a state myself. The movie is modestly scaled but well sustained, with a reasonably satisfying conclusion to boot. Nice job.

"Sobrenatural" proves to be an intelligent, intriguing, and very well-made suspense film.

[lowkey · 9 January 1999]

I saw this film at the 1997 Taos Talking Pictures Festival, and, for lack of any better words, it scared the hell out of me. I talked to a number of members of the packed audience afterwards, and we all agreed at how intense, psychological, engrossing, and just generally well-made this film was. The story begins when Dolores, while alone in her apartment, hears her neighbor murdered in the hall of their apartment building. The police have no suspects, and no motive for the killing is apparent. The story builds from this as Dolores becomes obsessed with solving the murder, and as her life and everything around her begin to change. The suspense builds gradually and steadily toward a terrifying climax, and the film had moments that are comparable to any suspense or horror film that I've ever seen. I would also like to complement Daniel Gruener (whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the festival in Taos) and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto on the beautiful and almost surrealistic look of the film. All I can hope for is that this film receives the U.S., or even world-wide distribution it deserves, and that it has the chance to satisfy audiences of a much larger scale in the future.

A great horror film.

[Megamastermaind · 8/10 · 19 November 2001]

Add suspense, a little bit of horror and a lot of mystery and what you got? SOBRENATURAL. An excelent horror film as Mexican as me. This movie is for the ones that are already sick of gore and blood spilling here and there. However, this film's not for every viewer. You need to have BRAINS in order to understand the whole flick. Most viewers refused it because they were dissapointed (lack of gore) and they had not the desire of think. You are gonna have to watch this movie about 6 or 7 times to understand it all (I already watched it 4 times and I still can't find out what was the knives under the furniture for). Most people that watched it says that the end of the movie is on the scene where Dolores' husband's face is seen through a fishbowl. If my memory doesn't fail, the final scene is when Dolores walks down the stairs and leaves a watch in one of the stairs.(I'm not very sure but I think is the same she took at the beggining of the movie). Some scenes are pretty cool, such as the ones where Dolores visits Madame Endor. Some other are weird, like the one that Dolores puts some weird stuff on Andres' orange juice and he end up making mombo jombo with her (Lots of lonely girls would like to do the same thing to a bunch of handsome guys). One I liked very much is when Doctor Riojas visits Madame Endor, in one of the classics scenes where magic and science collides. I also liked the zombie look, I was really glad that the film broke with the tradition of stupid corpses walking without any sense. The zombie you see comes from the voodooh tradition of Haiti. Is just a black guy that walks normally, never on a hurry and that carries a dog. And by the way, the one who played the zombie was actually a woman! Kinda framin', huh? The effects didn't suck, in fact I liked that fast motion camera angles that in some certain moments will give you the creeps, I liked it a lot. And the most surprising one is when Dolores found out that her husband was behind all. That Eva bewitched him and he summoned Naganga (The voodooh spirit) in order to get rid of her, but Naganga told him he wanted Dolores, and he tried to do other stuff to convince Naganga not to take Dolores by making other sacrifices (such as Dolores' poor little pet dog). At the end he gets killed by the zombie, and the zombie killed him in a very curious way: with just a headbutt. He didn't dismembered him to pieces like his living dead counterparts, he killed him with just a headbutt. Totally different, eh? But Andres didn't died at all, because Dolores spilled his body with the powder she smelled and he came back to life, but end up mute...

So, if you want a totally different horror film, Sobrenatural is the best choice. Do you love gore? This is not the movie you should watch. Are you looking for horror, suspense and mystery? Well this movie is the perfect one. I give you my word.

Great witchcraft film!

[jp_91 · 10/10 · 16 December 2020]

"Sobrenatural" is a great film based on a hard to find book titled "Dólares para una ganga". The script is suspenseful and creepy, the cinematography is amazing, the filming locations are really atmospheric and the performances are great, especially Susana Zabaleta and Delia Casanova. A film obviously influenced by "Rosemary's Baby" (1968). A Mexican horror classic.

visually impressive elegant horror film.

[marco-51 · 16 January 1999]

This is a movie which has a good plot, not impressive. But is extremely visually powerful. The camera movements and the coloring portray madness and fear. Has one of the best Mexican actresses i´ve ever seen, and me being Mexican i know that´s a rare thing. The chase scene at the end is great. And that last shot. Of the man seen through the fishbowl, his face all distorted, is so disturbing.