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The Grandmother
La abuela
2022 101 min France, Spain R 18+
★5.8
Drama, Horror
Director: Paco Plaza
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Susana leaves her life in Paris, where she works as a model, and returns to Madrid to take care of her grandmother Pilar.
Budget:
$3.75M
US Gross:
$4,343
Worldwide:
$1.82M
Starring
Almudena Amor
Actor
Vera Valdez
Actor
Karina Kolokolchykova
Actor
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2021
— Sebastian Prize
Goya Awards 2022
— Best Visual Effects
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2021
— Golden Shell
Goya Awards 2022
— Best Original Score
Key opinion
La abuela is a psychologically driven horror film that explores the unsettling reality of aging and the burden of caregiving. While some viewers appreciate its atmospheric tension and thematic depth, others find the pacing sluggish and the narrative predictability frustrating.
| Theme | The film effectively treats the physical and emotional burdens of aging as a source of genuine psychological horror. | |
| Acting | Almudena Amor delivers an immersive lead performance that anchors the character's descent into terror. | |
| Direction | Director Paco Plaza shifts away from his signature fast-paced style to favor a slow-burn, atmospheric approach to horror. | |
| Cinematography | Visual storytelling effectively contrasts the glamour of youth with the harsh, extreme close-ups of an aging body. | |
| Pacing | The slow, methodical tempo is praised by those seeking psychological tension, while others find the narrative sluggish and repetitive. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the plot are divided, with some valuing its tight, deliberate structure and others dismissing the story as predictable and banal. |