El secreto de Ana María: Dusty, dramatic, and surprisingly stiff

Is this for you?

Honestly, only watch El secreto de Ana María if you have a soft spot for black-and-white dramas that move at the speed of a parked car. If you want high-octane thrills like Catching Crocodiles, look elsewhere. This is for the folks who like staring at period costumes and wondering why everyone in the 1940s was so incredibly repressed.

The movie is full of those long, lingering stares where you just know a secret is about to drop. Or not. Sometimes they just stare for a solid minute while the camera operator probably took a nap. It’s a mood, I guess.

The vibe is... heavy

Lina Yegros carries a lot of weight on her shoulders here. You can see her trying to hold the whole plot together while everyone around her just kind of drifts through the scenes. There’s a scene in the library—I think it’s the library—where the shadows are doing more acting than the supporting cast. It’s odd. I couldn't stop looking at the wallpaper patterns.

The dialogue? It’s very formal. Nobody talks like this anymore, thank god. It feels like every line had to be approved by a committee of stern grandfathers. Sometimes the rhythm is so slow it becomes hypnotic. Other times, I found myself checking how much time was left.

Wait, why is he standing like that?

There’s a moment with Juan de Landa that I still don't fully understand. He walks into the room, pauses, and then just stands there for an uncomfortable amount of time. It feels like he forgot his line, but maybe it’s supposed to be tension? It’s not. It’s just awkward. I kind of loved it.

If you like this sort of thing, you might also find a weirdly similar energy in Troll-Elgen, even if the settings are worlds apart. It’s the same feeling of being stuck in a time capsule that hasn't been opened in decades. Sometimes you just want to sit with a movie that doesn't care if you're bored.

Don't expect fireworks. Don't expect a satisfying payoff. It’s just a long walk through a very polite, very sad house. 🎞️