‘Pedro Páramo’ (2024) Netflix Movie Review - A Wonderful Attempt

Pedro Páramo is a Spanish film based on the novel written by Juan Rulfo, which is about Juan Preciado. The man goes to a deserted location in search of his father Pedro Páramo at the request of his mother (after she died). Juan didn't want to have to do anything with his father but since his mother asked him to at her deathbed, he had to comply with her request. Upon reaching the deserted place, Juan encountered many spirits and mistook them for living people. The reality is that any individual he came across in that place wasn't a person but the spirit of those who once inhabited that land. While Juan is having all these experiences, the timelines and storylines get intertwined and we're taken back and forth. This rocky ride however only takes place in the first half. The 132-minute film feels long initially but, once you get a grasp of the situation, things pass on smoothly. For the audience, it'll take 20-25 minutes to settle with the flow of this film.

In my opinion, Pedro Páramo is a bit lengthy and complicated. Some parts could've been shown simplified, and the time duration also poses a problem. The projection of what the movie is going to be about quickly takes its turn. There'll be a lot of people who after completing the film won't understand the storyline. The movie is about a Don from being heartless to giving his life for the love of his life. He was ruthless and since his childhood love died, he gave up on his business which made the town a no man zone because employment and money became a far-fetched job. With so many spirits going around, mainly because many unholy sins were committed, Juan gets entangled in the barren land. The actors have delivered an impeccable performance and though I haven't read the novel, I think it's worth a read after watching this film. Since I haven't read the book, comments on whether the adaptation was good are futile, but those who don't have a faint idea about the text might actually like the movie. It takes effort to wrap up a mystery in such multiple layers. Various elements added like supernatural ones, violence, and others blended in perfectly. The writers and creators have expertly mastered the interplay of various timelines, demonstrating remarkable skill in maintaining clarity throughout.

As there are multiple timelines, the audience won't be given hints regarding which one is being shown. I liked how the timelines can be seen interacting with each other and how Tenoch Huerta as Juan is able to show those emotions onscreen. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Pedro was a great decision, the reason behind it will be understandable after you watch the movie. It's no difficult feat to identify it and Rodrigo Prieto with his directorial debut aced the art. Sometimes the movie gets so fast-paced that one might miss certain pointers and other times it's too slow. So, I think that a steady pace could've been maintained. Many characters come and go and even I got confused however, you don't need to keep a tally and just focus on the main plot. I think the movie has many layers and every time you watch it, several other things will come to the audience's notice.

Final Score – [6/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times