DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Una de miedo remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you’re deep into the history of Spanish parody or you have a weird itch for 1950s slapstick-horror hybrids. If you’re looking for actual chills, you’ll hate this. It’s not trying to make you jump; it’s trying to make you roll your eyes at the very idea of a haunted house.
The plot is paper-thin. A couple shows up at a big, creaky house, and there’s a secret sect waiting to mess with them. It feels less like a movie and more like a collection of bits thrown together to mock the genre. Kind of like how The Haunted House played with shadows, but with way less charm and more guys in robes looking confused.
There’s this one scene where the cultists are trying to be intimidating, but they just look like they’re waiting for a bus. The timing is so off it’s almost impressive. You can tell the actors are having a laugh, but the camera just doesn't know how to frame it properly. It lingers on faces for way too long. Like, way too long.
The whole thing feels a bit dusty. Not in a 'classic' way, but in a 'found in a basement' way. It’s got that specific vibe you find in Salt Water Taffy where the production quality is just doing its best to stay upright. Sometimes the pacing hits a wall and just stops. It’s weirdly endearing if you’re in the right mood.
I caught myself looking at the background textures more than the actual dialogue. The paint is peeling in a way that suggests the house was tired of being a movie set. Maybe it was.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie, really. But it has this weird, frantic energy that I kinda dug. It’s not trying to be The Patriot, thank god. It’s just trying to be a silly joke that goes on for about 15 minutes too long. 👻