VERONICA is a somewhat overrated Spanish horror movie detailing a typical haunting/possession. It's set in 1991 and involves a teenage girl who meddles with a Ouija board and subsequently finds her apartment haunted by the spirit of her dead father. I saw this advertised as the scariest Spanish horror film since REC but it's a far cry from that zombie masterpiece. I found this inferior to most Japanese ghost stories, relying far too much on noisiness for effect: people running around screaming while the camera shakes, along with the usual jump scares and loud foreboding music. I much prefer a subtle, creeping dread to get across a real shivering kind of horror. This film is light on plot and rather predictable when it comes to the story, with only a stand-out couple of disturbing moments. The characters are rather unlikeable too.

The film is based on the events that involved Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro and her family happened on 1991 . In fact , it is set Madrid 1991, where a 15-year-old teen called Veronica : Sandra Escacena , takes care her siblings when her mummy : Ana Torrent , is slaving away long time out of home , at a local bar . Veronica is a responsible teenager that has to become herself the substitute mother caring her three brothers , replacing her at housework . Then Veronica along with her schoolmates , during a weird sun eclipse , play a seance of the Ouija board, including a moving crystal glass and inhalating a rare smoke emerging , when she finds herself a supernatural evil . Veronica is beginning to feel weird presences and strange creature threatening her brothers and herself . Step by step something violent and wild will start to infect everyone around Veronica . And she starts to experience strong paranormal activity in her home . In the background showing up a painting of a pack of wolves chasing a deer and the usual music by Spanish Rock band Heroes Del Silencio . Someone answered your call! . A mystery until today still remains unexplained! ..I don't want to know about evil, only want to know about love!..

Decent terror movie with thrills , chills , tension , and creepy happenings . Scary and terrifying images when an obscure supernatural being plunges from the other side , making sinister and mysterious appearances . At the climax happens shocking and horrific images of possession and violent attacks . A scary horror picture shot in fits and starts with disconcerting plot , regarding a ghastly possession , as a teenager suffering from the effects of being possessed by a devil . Horrifying and terrifying images about a possessed girl by a malevolent and heinous spirit causing creepy , scary , awful and terrible moments . Genuinely horrible moments overcome some obvious plot devices . This is a juicy terrifying material fashioning an iconic diabolic possession , providing screams , thrills , shocks and chilling scenes . It has an extremely known premise about possession that spawns the film in ups and downs . The movie is based on actual events happened in 1991 about a girl from Vallecas slum called Estefania who along with his classmates convocated the spirit of a deceased boyfriend of one of them by means of the Ouija board . Then this 18-year-old girl called Estafania was really possesed , suffering convulsion and shortly after being interned at Gregorio Marañon hospital , and she suddenly died , as she would die on August 14, 1991, six months after first playing the Ouija board ; diagnosis : lung suffocation . And the paranormal activity increased after her death . However, many years before, in the early 70s happened some astonishing events about Poltergeister phenomenon that caused the Police Security Direction hired an expert priest called Jose Maria Pilón to investigate the frightened deeds which he details meticulously the supernatural events observed in the incredible house . Has been said this was first strange case documented by Police about frenzied paranormal phenomenon .

It contains an adequate and sinister cinematography by Pablo Rosso , Paco Plaza's regular cameraman . And frightening , suspenseful musical score by Eugenio Mira , adding modern songs by Heroes Del Silencio . The motion picture was well directed by Paco Plaza . He is a good director with much success particularly in terror genre . He has written or directed with Jaume Balaguero the successful Rec saga formed by : ¨Rec 1, Rec 2 , Rec Genesis and Rec Apocalypse¨ . As well as other terror movies as ¨The second name¨ , ¨Romasanta¨, ¨Christmas tale¨ and he wrote the American film : ¨Quarantine¨ . He has also made some shorts and documentary : OT . And his only and recent thriller, ¨Quien a hierro mata¨, with Luis Tosar . Rating 7/10 . Decent and interesting horror movie . Well worth watching for terror lovers.

Let me start off by saying I have certain difficulties with foreign films, having been raised on Hollywood standards and conventional cinematics. I consider this to be a personal flaw and the result of early age conditioning, which honestly should have been broken by now following masterpieces such as Ju On (Japanese) and Martyrs (French). Unfortunately, this flaw often makes me delay watching foreign Horror even when it's conveniently and immediately available on Netflix. Thank heavens I eventually get to it, or I would have missed on Veronica, which is in my opinion simply an excellent and fun film.

It is noteworthy to mention that virtually nothing about Veronica is innovative or original, save for certain aspects of the evil spirit's behavior and methods. From the painfully overdone story (teenagers using Ouija board, evil follows, haunting commences) to the portrayal of the haunting itself (poltergeist effects apparent in the house, mouth agape beyond what is physically possible for humans etc.) Veronica resembles any of the dozen plus ghost stories proceeding it in the past decade. And yet, something about the different atmosphere, the unique and almost idiosyncratic features of the spirit and the added value from witnessing the heartwarming relationship between the protagonist and her younger siblings simply makes Veronica a rewarding and fun viewing experience from start to finish. Acting is right on the spot even by young Iván Chavero making a very impressive debut, soundtrack and cinematography accompany the story and characters just as they should, and everything simply fits together perfectly.

The ending is slightly disappointing (as is the case with many Horror films),with a failed and completely unnecessary attempt at a plot twist (the film would have fine without it). This combined with the aforementioned lack of innovation makes me somewhat surprised and confused as to how much I honestly enjoyed this film. Like I said, everything simply comes together perfectly regardless to most of the features which are usually required to make a good Horror film great. All I can say is that I wholeheartedly recommend Veronica to any Horror fan, even if some of you might find it to be mediocre and average at best. I certainly haven't.