Hell is a Teenage Girl From A Small Town in Andalusia

What:

The famous quote “hell is a teenage girl” is on full display in Cerdita, a horror thriller written and directed by Carlota Pereda centered on Sara, a bullied, overweight girl from a small town in Andalusia.

Sara, a target of bullying by her classmates for her weight and reserved demeanor, works in her family’s butcher shop. She diligently studies for school and longs for the teenage dream of going on adventures with beautiful friends and a handsome boy.

But after a particularly traumatic bullying experience, her life changes forever when she witnesses a mysterious man abducting her bullies and becomes entangled in the aftermath. The town soon devolves into a frenzy attempting to locate the girls, and Sara’s reluctant involvement becomes a nightmare as she weighs inaction with intrigue.

Why:

Pereda excels at creating an atmosphere of quiet, suppressed rage. She does not shy away from depicting the quiet abuses of everyday life — domestic violence inflicted by parents on to their children, the cruelties of social media, and the sharp malice of insults and regressive attitudes about gender and weight.

Through tight camera work and careful world building, you feel claustrophobic in a town where everybody seems to walk the same streets, frequent the same stores, and know one another’s families. Even more, the oppressive Andalusian heat is seen and felt in every scene.

In short, you are trapped in this slice of hell with Sara.

Cerdita slows down and drags in a couple moments — it could have likely benefited from cutting 5-10 minutes total — but I still view this movie as a monstrous achievement for its original premise, strong acting, and enchanting cinematography.

Overall, this is a riveting movie for an advanced learner. I highly recommend it as your next watch.

How:

Cerdita has a runtime of 100 minutes (1 hour 40 minutes). It is currently available to stream on AMC+ but with imprinted English subtitles. You can find a version without subtitles by searching around on Youtube.