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Review

What a treat from the “don’t judge it by its box art” department. Santeria is a blast; very well produced, intelligently conceived, completely engrossing from start to finish and really, really creepy. It is so rewarding to see filmmakers relying on that so often overlooked creative tool known as the brain. While the film is certainly impressive visually and demonstrates technical mastery of cinematic technique, the real star here is the psychological powers that went into creating such an effective, haunting piece. This is that rare thing in horror films of late, a character driven story where many the chills come from the experience of watching people dealing with internal issues rather than Jason Vorhees or Freddy Krueger types. A complicated plot involves supernatural and/or religious elements that ultimately lead to at least one mysterious death and an even more puzzling disappearance. It is this confusion about what might or might not be going on with these characters and their various approaches to the situation that makes Santeria so entertaining on both the visceral horror movie level and that more intellectual place where audiences will have to figure out not only what is happening in the story, but how to avoid having it happen to them. So, put aside all notions of going to Exorcist or Omen territory, dust off the old thinking cap and sit down to enjoy a true gem, both provocative and scary.

 -- David Greenberg