Description

When a well-respected academic inherits a beautiful, sprawling country home, his family expects that he will do the sensible thing: sell it, pocket the money and continue to live a comfortable life in the familiar environs of the big city. But he does exactly the opposite, packing up his wife, children and grandchild and moving them all off to the country against their wishes. And the country is a vastly different place than the city, a place where superstition runs rampant, the local priest still performs exorcisms, and there may just be a thread of truth embedded in the strange, disturbing tales told about their new home.

A country with a long film tradition, Portugal has nonetheless not been known for producing genre fare, a fact that may be beginning to change. Case in point: Coisa Ruim. This atmospheric chiller opened the 2006 edition of the Fantasporto Festival, and if there were any questions about the film receiving preferential treatment thanks to its being a local product, those thoughts disappear in the opening frames. Beautifully shot and augmented with a minimalist score that evokes the work of Daniel Lanois, the film is a subtle, slow-burning tale of a haunting in rural Portugal. Built around a carefully nuanced script and strong performances from all involved, Coisa Ruim is a welcome relief from all the noise of most Hollywood films, a film that takes its time to build mood and atmosphere. Rather than slapping you around with sound and fury, the film builds its characters carefully while slowly raising the tension. It’s more concerned with the consequences of the supernatural on this very recognizable family than it is with sensationalizing the supernatural itself (those elements are handled with enough respect that you wonder if the filmmakers are themselves believers). And when the supernatural forces involved finally becomes abundantly, evidently real, that investment in character pays off with a finale that lingers long after the last frame has played.

—Todd Brown

Website

http://www.coisaruim.com/

Credits

Director: Tiago Guedes, Frederico Serra
Screenplay: Rodrigo Guedes de Carvalho
Cast: Adriano Luz, Manuela Couto, Sara Carinhas, Jose Pimentel, Joao Santos
Producers: Paulo Branco
Distributor: Madragoa Filmes