Dec. 11, 2024
By Chloe O’Donnell
Staff Writer
Based on Juan Rulfo’s 1955 novel of the same title, “Pedro Páramo” is a visually mesmerizing film that follows Juan Preciado (Tenoch Huerta) as he fulfills his mother’s dying wish. Honoring her request, Juan travels to his mother’s hometown to learn about her past and the past of his father, Pedro Páramo (Manuel García Rulfo).
When Juan arrives in Comala, Mexico, he is shocked at how few people live in the rural town. The remaining inhabitants tell Juan the history of Comala and his father’s role in destroying it. As Juan spends more time there, he discovers that some residents he has been talking to are ghosts.
The Spanish-language drama starts by following Juan, but after about a half hour, it switches to Pedro, bouncing back and forth between Juan and Pedro’s perspectives for the remainder of the movie.
The highlight of the movie is Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography.
Unfortunately, Juan’s sections are slow and uneventful compared to Pedro’s engaging story. Watching Pedro manipulate everyone in Comala for his benefit is much more interesting than watching Juan walk through a spooky town.
Considering that every summary of “Pedro Páramo” mentions ghosts, there are surprisingly few of them. They are extremely underutilized, but this could be good for people who avoid scary movies. The lack of ghosts does not detract from the film, but it is a missed opportunity considering the eerie nature of the setting.
The highlight of the movie is Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography. Prieto, who made his directing debut in this film, is an Oscar-nominated cinematographer best known for “Barbie,” “Brokeback Mountain” and several of director/filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s movies. His experience benefits “Pedro Páramo” because when the storyline gets boring, there are always stunning visuals to enjoy, which is the main reason to watch this film.
For Netflix subscribers who appreciate cinematography and a slow burn, “Pedro Páramo” is a film worth watching, but for those looking for a typical ghost movie or a fast-moving plot, consider skipping this Netflix original.
