Spoor

This is truly a disturbing, and brilliantly crafted piece of horror. Are parts of this difficult to watch? Certainly, the initial opening of the cyst-like growth feels all too real in this modern age of "Dr. Pimple Popper". While it is there, however, it doesn't remain a primary focus for the advancement of grotesquery and instead truly moves the plot and story along. The body horror aspects of it are disturbing without becoming over-dominant and the reveal of what is inside, and how that plays out is nothing short of genius. When one factors in everything else, the religious undertones, aspects of generational trauma and familiar guilt, and everything else? There is such originality here, I cannot think of anything to compare this film to. It stands alone, unique in both its story and its realization.

One can deep dive into the other issues underlying here, such as the changing of familiar power dynamics as parents age to the point of requiring care and the financial hardships that providing such care can cause. One can speak about the emotional drain that such things place on the child turned caregiver, and the damage it does to their psyche as they struggle to mentally cope and survive. There is so much to unpack here, and it is spectacularly done here in under 15 minutes.

One also cannot overlook the stellar performance of Ellora Torchia as Ash. Every moment of emotion feels raw and real, and the few tears shed seem genuine and provide weight to her struggles. While every other character we encounter has a slightly sinister feel to them, Ash's struggle is truly human. The nightmare she finds herself in, when stripped of its supernatural element, is terrifying because of how real it truly is.

That is what makes this horror film so fantastic. It isn't the supernatural element that is the most terrifying or heart-wrenching, it is the brutal reality that underpins it, a reality that countless people struggle to cope with every day, that is the real horror here.

Try as one might, there is no flaw to be found in this film.