Anathema (film)

Anathema
Anathema
	Theatrical release poster
Spanish	Anatema
Directed by	Jimina Sabadú
Screenplay by	Jimina Sabadú; Elio Quiroga;
Produced by	Álex de la Iglesia; Carolina Bang;
Starring	Leonor Watling; Pablo Derqui; Jaime Ordóñez; Keren Hapuc; Juan Codina; Margarita Lascoiti; Juan Manuel Montilla 'El Langui';
Cinematography	Luis Ángel Pérez
Music by	Vanessa Garde
Production; companies	Pokeepsie Films; The Fear Collection IV AIE;
Distributed by	Sony Pictures International Productions
Release dates	2 November 2024 (LBFF); 8 November 2024 (Spain);
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish

Anathema^[1] (Spanish: Anatema) is a 2024 Spanish Gothic horror film directed by Jimina Sabadú [es] (in her directorial debut feature) and written by Sabadú and Elio Quiroga. It stars Leonor Watling alongside Pablo Derqui, Keren Hapuc, and Jaime Ordóñez.

Plot

Acting on behalf of the Archdiocese, hard-boiled nun sor Juana gets into a church in Old Madrid built over a maze of underground passages, finding that Evil has taken roots.^[2]

Cast

Leonor Watling as Juana Rabadán^[3]
Pablo Derqui as padre Ángel^[4] ('father Ángel')
Keren Hapuc^[5]
Jaime Ordóñez^[5]
Mauro Brussolo^[5]
Mariano Llorente [es]^[5]
Manuel de Blas^[5]
Xoán Fórneas [es]^[5]
Juan Codina^[6]
Margarita Lascoiti [es]^[6]
Juan Manuel Montilla 'El Langui'^[6]

Production

The screenplay was written by Jimina Sabadú [es] and Elio Quiroga. Sabadú stated that the film "is a story of Gothic horror with roots rooted in the most ancestral Madrid, that of passages and lost architectures".^[2] The film is a Pokeepsie Films production, and it had the association of Sony Pictures International Productions and the participation of Prime Video.^[5] It was lensed by Luis Ángel Pérez.^[7] Shooting locations in Madrid and Bizkaia included Bilbao and the Pozalagua Cave [es] in Karrantza.^[4]

Release

The film was selected for a special screening at Tokyo's Latin Beat Film Festival (LBFF) on 2 November 2024.^[8] It is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 8 November 2024.^[5]^[9]^[10]

Reception

Carmen L. Lobo of La Razón rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, positively highlighting Watling's dedicated performance and the supernatural entities' looks, while negatively mentioning some somewhat jarring lines and mawkish ending.^[11]

Philipp Engel of Cinemanía rated the film 3½ out of 5 stars, writing that "all is well on its costumbrista side", which can be encapsulated in the phrase "blacker than Pantoja's hair", pronounced by one of the characters.^[12]

References

^ "The City of Madrid was the setting for 41 films, 55 series and more than 410 commercials in 2023". Madrid Film Office. Madrid Destino Cultura Turismo y Negocio S.A. 9 February 2024.
^ ^a ^b Rivera, Alfonso (29 March 2023). "Álex de la Iglesia produce Anatema, la ópera prima de Jimina Sabadú". Cineuropa.
^ Marrero, Daniela (16 October 2024). "Leonor Watling encarna a una monja en la terrorífica 'Anatema'". Faro de Vigo. Prensa Ibérica.
^ ^a ^b Cabrera, Sara (20 July 2023). "'Anatema', una peli de terror gótico con Bizkaia como uno de sus enclaves". Deia.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "El rodaje de 'Anatema', dirigida por Jimina Sabadú, llega a Bilbao". Europa Press. 12 April 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c "ANATEMA se estrena el 8 de noviembre en cines". 3 October 2024.
^ "Se está rodando 'Anatema', el tercer título de The Fear Collection". Camera and Light Mag.
^ "特別企画上映. 11/2（土）、11/3（日）". Latin Beat Film Festival. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
^ "Las 20 películas españolas que más nos apetece ver en 2024". Cinemanía. 29 December 2023 – via 20minutos.es.
^ "Calendario de estrenos Sony" (PDF). Sony Pictures España. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ Lobo, Carmen L. (8 November 2024). "Crítica de "Anatema": de Madrid al infierno ★★★". La Razón.
^ Engel, Philipp (7 November 2024). "Crítica de 'Anatema': una de criaturas infernales tan negra como el pelo de la Pantoja". Cinemanía.

[1] "The City of Madrid was the setting for 41 films, 55 series and more than 410 commercials in 2023". Madrid Film Office. Madrid Destino Cultura Turismo y Negocio S.A. 9 February 2024.

[cineuropa-2] Rivera, Alfonso (29 March 2023). "Álex de la Iglesia produce Anatema, la ópera prima de Jimina Sabadú". Cineuropa.

[3] Marrero, Daniela (16 October 2024). "Leonor Watling encarna a una monja en la terrorífica 'Anatema'". Faro de Vigo. Prensa Ibérica.

[deia-4] Cabrera, Sara (20 July 2023). "'Anatema', una peli de terror gótico con Bizkaia como uno de sus enclaves". Deia.

[ep-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "El rodaje de 'Anatema', dirigida por Jimina Sabadú, llega a Bilbao". Europa Press. 12 April 2023.

[pokeepsiefilms-6] "ANATEMA se estrena el 8 de noviembre en cines". 3 October 2024.

[7] "Se está rodando 'Anatema', el tercer título de The Fear Collection". Camera and Light Mag.

[8] "特別企画上映. 11/2（土）、11/3（日）". Latin Beat Film Festival. Retrieved 2 November 2024.

[9] "Las 20 películas españolas que más nos apetece ver en 2024". Cinemanía. 29 December 2023 – via 20minutos.es.

[10] "Calendario de estrenos Sony" (PDF). Sony Pictures España. Retrieved 26 September 2024.

[11] Lobo, Carmen L. (8 November 2024). "Crítica de "Anatema": de Madrid al infierno ★★★". La Razón.

[12] Engel, Philipp (7 November 2024). "Crítica de 'Anatema': una de criaturas infernales tan negra como el pelo de la Pantoja". Cinemanía.

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