Overview
- Screening in Un Certain Regard, the Costa Rican drama earned favorable notices from festival critics, with IndieWire grading it B+ and IONCINEMA awarding 3.5 stars, and it is seeking U.S. distribution.
- The film centers on Elsa, who returns to San José and finds her sister Amalia living alone in a wrecked family home and slipping into troubling behavior.
- Amalia claims nocturnal visits from the Dorlis, a Caribbean spirit said to assault sleepers, which the film treats as an open question by never showing the attacks on screen.
- Critics note handheld camerawork, tight close-ups, and a tense score that turn San José’s streets into emotional terrain, echoing Maurel’s goal to show her hometown beyond tourist images with a small, on-location crew.
- Daniela Marín Navarro leads as Elsa, with Marina de Tavira and Reinaldo Amién as the parents, while reviews differ on Amalia’s credit, listing the actress as either Mariangel Montero or Mariangel Villegas.