Title: Disforia
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Christopher Cartagena Gonzalez
Starring: Claudia Salas, Fariba Sheikhan, Noah Casas
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

What It Is:

Esther (Shiekhan) and Tomás (Eloy Azorín) are a young couple fleeing with their 8-year-old daughter, Say (Casas). They’re headed to a rural home they purchased before their world changed drastically. Their initial plan is to sell the home and move from their native Spain to France. However, when they arrive, things do not go as anticipated. The arrival of the mysterious stranger Vera (Salas) makes their trip to the new home far stranger than they imagined.

What We Think: It was a real pleasure to speak with Chris and his two leading ladies about a film I think is a really cool little thriller. Claudia Salas is totally unhinged as Vera, she steals the entire film. Once she enters the fray, she turns everything upside down. That’s when the film really begins. Its actual start is much slower and more deliberately paced. The chemistry between Esther and Tomás is pretty solid, and once Tomás’ true nature is revealed, Eloy Azorín’s performance makes total sense. To Chris Caratagena’s credit, kids aren’t easy to work with, but according to him, and based on the evidence on screen, Noah Casas didn’t seem difficult to direct at all.

Our Grade: C, A pretty good old-fashioned thriller, one that offers a European view of what the end times might look like. You know it’s bad when France is the safe place. This is a tight little thriller and one worth seeing. Thanks to Chris and his leading ladies for the interview (see below), and I’m grateful they tolerated my mediocre Spanish. It’s always nice to get to use that skill, if you can call it that, whenever possible.