Magical Girl

Alice dreams of the dress in the Japanese series "Magical Girl Yukiko". Luis, her father, will do anything he can to make his ailing daughter’s dream come true. By chance, he meets Barbara, a pretty girl with a psychological disorder and some ‘special’ tendencies. Damián, Barbara’s old teacher that just leaves the prison, will try to help her.

This complex and precise plot is just one of the elements that Carlos Vermut uses to catch the audience in an intricate spider net. A clean and dry cinematography composition introduces the viewer in a gritty social drama (linked with Spanish current situation) of desperate characters in a blind alley that suddenly twists in a dark blackmail net. Through an absorbent and fascinating narrative, Carlos Vermut creates a thriller with its own labyrinth and rules that engage since the first frame. We are in front of a new unique author, with pure authenticity, extreme skills to recreate unhealthy atmosphere, virtuous use of ellipsis and off-camera, and very personal references (as graphic novels or Asian culture). Vermut has the capacity to bring us to the darkest paths of human soul. To see "Magical Girl" is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. The audience will feel uncomfortable while fascinated by this blackmailing net of characters that can be angels and devils at the same time.

"Magical Girl" is a sick noir, a strong drama which will blow up your mind. It is a singular tale that catches you from the early beginning. Slippery and surprising as a snake, "Magical Girl" is a film as you never seen before.

PÖFF / Javier Garcia Puerto

Spain 2014