There’s a moment early in Rosario where the title character (Shadowhunters‘ Emeraude Toubia) peeks into her recently deceased grandmother‘s closet, catches sight of something unsettling, and backs away, muttering “Nope!” Eventually, curiosity nudges her to investigate further—but you have to appreciate that initial hesitation. Not only is it relatable, it’s something horror movie characters very rarely do; it makes you want to root for her, especially as her night with an unquiet corpse takes some alarming turns.
Rewinding a bit, by the time she’s alone (or is she?) with a dead body, Rosario has given us a glimpse of her perfect life. After a prologue set at a family gathering following her First Communion—where she has an odd exchange with her grandmother, who hisses at her “My beliefs are not yours!”—we see that the adult Rosario (who insists on being called “Rose”) is kicking ass in the financial world, with a posh Manhattan apartment to match. The trade-off is that she’s too busy to visit Grandma in Brooklyn… or maybe she just doesn’t want to.
She ignores several calls from the old woman throughout the day as a blizzard closes in on New York City, and when she finally picks up, it’s Grandma’s building super. He bluntly delivers the news that she’s passed away, and that Rose better head over ASAP to deal with the situation. With no other option—her mom has been dead for some time, and her dad (José Zuñiga) lives miles away in Atlantic City—she braves the storm, not to mention leering men, unfriendly dogs, and Grandma’s air fryer-obsessed neighbor (Late Night With the Devil‘s David Dastmalchian) as part of her journey.
© Mucho Mas ReleasingRosario soon narrows its focus to the supernatural drama that oozes out of Rose’s past—and occasionally out of Grandma’s corpse; this is not a movie that shies away from body horror, nor any number of squirming creepy-crawlies. It weaves a mystery that goes back generations, and ties into the struggles Rose’s parents endured as Mexican immigrants.
It also enfolds occult leanings that explain Grandma’s long-ago comment to young Rose, and adult Rose’s wondering of “What the fuck were you into?” as she takes stock of the witchy accoutrements scattered around the apartment. In fact, she even googles “witchcraft” to get a little guidance—an arms-length approach that she ill-advisedly doesn’t stick to the longer the snowy night gets.
Crafted by first-time feature director Felipe Vargas, Rosario makes great use of grimy production design and what look to be mostly practical special effects to enhance its main setting, a place so disturbing Rose figures at one point walking into a blizzard would be preferable to sticking around a second longer. (That doesn’t go well.) The movie is also interested in layering meaning under its frights, drawing on Rose’s guilt over having prioritized her career over her family—especially considering the sacrifices they made to help her succeed—and even her culture, as we learn at a crucial moment she’s not entirely confident in her Spanish.
It would be easy to become too heavy-handed with those themes, but Rosario manages a good balance between “know your roots” and “oh gawd what is that horrifying creature lurching from the corner?” Cult favorite Dastmalchian has an unfortunately small role, but his cool-weirdo energy is a welcome addition nonetheless.
© Mucho Mas ReleasingRosario hits theaters May 2.
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