Claudia Llosa's Madeinusa is a dark and disturbing film. At first it seems like a coming of age film, but quickly reveals itself to be a dark horror film similar to The Wicker Man.
The film opens around Madeinusa (Magaly Solier) and her younger sister Chale (Yiliana Chong). Their relationship is not a sibling rivalry. Chale truly hates Madeinusa, and barely hides it in her actions which become progressively worse throughout the film. Add to this equation is the incestuous father Cayo (Ubaldo Huaman), and the viewer is asked to wonder how this family and town have survived this long. It is only the addition of Salvador (Carlos De La Torre) that makes the violitile situation explosive.
Next, the elements of isolation and a weird festival make Madeinusa feel otherworldly. The town is nestled in the Andes, and 3 days walk from anyplace. The location is beautiful with mountain peaks and lakes. The camera swallows these scenes without overwhelming. It can draw comparisons to House of Sand. The festival is disturbing by itself. Adultery, theft, and other debaucheries are common as a clock is paged through by one man. The festival begins once the crucified Jesus is removed from the cross and blindfolded. It is unsettling to say the least.
Third, the performances and the direction are alive. Magaly Solier's Madeinusa is both naive of the world, and vaguely aware that everything is wrong at the same time. Her lack of social skills are reminiscent of Angela Bettis' May. Madeinusa's world is narrow and defined. Llosa's screenplay uses language to hide things. Many times it seems like the translation can't be right, only to be discovered in the next scene. Llosa brings the viewer to the nightmare and makes everyone guess if there is a resolution.
Madeinusa is a beautiful little nightmare. It also hints that Llosa has parts of Stephen King and Clive Barker in her writing and future.