Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019) Review

El Señor (Conrado Osorio) is the leader of a small religious cult whose home is an idyllic mountain location. When he returns one day with a child whom he claims to be the new Messiah this event, coupled with the unearthing of a tape recorder in nearby woodland, causes the group to question both their faith and their leader, setting them all on a path to redemption or destruction.

As El Señor looks for a miracle from his new Jesus, his three daughters Uma (Yuri Vargas), Laila (Andrea Esquivel) and Zion (Sharon Guzman) are each tested, their femininity increasingly at odds with their father’s single-minded and often brutish methods.

Juan Diego Escobar Alzate’s compelling feature debut takes on big themes such as the very foundation of belief and the sometimes damaging effects of blind faith. Rather than leaping into painting its characters as angelic or demonic, the screenplay makes a clear point as to the good and evil which exists within us all and for each of the protagonists in the story, it’s a question of how they deal with this conflict.

It would have been easy – and perhaps more comfortable for the audience – to show El Señor as an irredeemably bad person, lording it over his flock with fear and the very real prospect of physical punishment meted out to anyone who strays from the path. There’s no doubt that he carries out hideous acts in the name of his new Messiah, especially to the boy’s mother in a sequence which is incredibly difficult to watch.

Yet, there’s a desire within him to be a good servant of God, however misguided that may be, and his inability to truly relate to those around him, particularly his daughters, manifests itself in utterly misguided and dreadful ways. Osorio’s performance is terrific and multi-layered, showing the frustrated and fearful heart beneath the formidable veneer and his unwillingness to waver from his beliefs.

It’s revealed that he’s brought several boys back previously, all of whom have turned out to be impostors rather than the Second Coming. For El Señor, credo trumps reason every time and his constant search for The Redeemer – and the grisly fates of those previous boys – is explained away as various examples of the Devil testing him and that both he and his throng should never give up on that quest, as that would imply a loss of that all-consuming faith.

As the trio of daughters, Vargas, Esquivel and Guzman are excellent, each strikingly different and memorable in their own way. Vargas has the most visceral journey in all senses of the word and is given the dramatic work which seems the most immediate, but Esquivel is also effective as the young woman transformed by the discovery of music and the emotions it stirs and Guzman makes an impact as the gentle Zion.

The contrast between the disturbing plot developments and its beautiful backdrops could not be more stark. Visually, Luz: The Flower Of Evil is an absolute feast, with vibrant colours and breath-taking landscapes. You’ll want to make use of the pause function when watching this to fully appreciate all of the gorgeous compositions.

Against such a picture-perfect setting, the temptation would be to overly prettify its characters but all the players here are authentically grimy with the functional, faded clothing you’d expect to find from the rigours of daily life in a remote location. There’s something of a classic Western feel to both the costumes and the overall atmosphere and there are nods which will chime with fans of Jodorowsky, although the various homages don’t overwhelm Alzate’s distinct, imposing style.

Anyone looking for traditional horror comeuppances may find the finale a little too oblique but it’s this kind of singular approach to the material which makes Luz: The Flower Of Evil such an intriguing and absorbing experience for those who are willing to immerse themselves in a such an intense experience. It’s a slow burn but this is necessary to give the viewer the time to question the motivations of the characters. It also raises wider questions which will linger in the memory long after the final cut to black.

An audacious and remarkable full-length movie bow from Juan Diego Escobar Alzate, Luz: The Flower Of Evil balances its sequences of almost unimaginable psychological and physical cruelty with a surprising gentleness and reflection which marks it out as an unusual item in a genre than isn’t particularly known for its conformity to begin with. It’s also another fine example of the burgeoning South American horror scene and long may that continue.

On the surface this may seem like just another film about a religious cult but it’s so much more than that, grappling with subjects such as the nature of masculinity, the varying perceptions of Heaven and Hell and how our quest for purity can end up destroying the very things we swore to protect. It’s a film of fierce intelligence, troubling in all the right ways and, as you’ve probably already guessed, I rather enjoyed it.

Fractured Visions presents Luz: The Flower of Evil on digital 26 July and limited edition Blu-ray 23 August

Movie Rating:★★★★☆ 

Trailer:

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Darren Gaskell

Darren is a writing machine, producing content for a range of channels. You can catch more of his content at The Strange Colour Of Deej's Reviews and The Horrocist. You can also follow him on Twitter.

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