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Magical Girl

Play trailer Poster for Magical Girl 2014 2h 7m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A desperate man (Luis Bermejo) blackmails a mentally ill woman (Bárbara Lennie) to buy a dress for his terminally ill daughter (Lucía Pollán).

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Magical Girl

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Writer-director Carlos Vermut distinguishes himself with his willingness to court melodrama; the layers of perversion, betrayal, and revenge verge on the operatic, but the action is played with impressive sobriety. Feb 25, 2016 Full Review Daniel de Partearroyo Cinemanía (Spain) The work of a true filmmaker. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4.5/5 Jun 21, 2016 Full Review Jordi Batlle Caminal La Vanguardia (Spain) A movie made with wisdom, every scene is perfectly balanced and the tone of it reminds you of Fritz Lang. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/5 Jun 21, 2016 Full Review Jordi Costa El Pais (Spain) Brbara Lennie is one of the most interesting characters in modern day cinema. [Full review in Spanish] Jun 21, 2016 Full Review Carlos Boyero El Pais (Spain) Carlos Vermut is a strange director in the best way possible, a strange director with lots of talent. [Full review in Spanish] Jun 21, 2016 Full Review Luis Martínez El Mundo (Spain) Perfect. [Full review in Spanish] Jun 21, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (19) audience reviews
miguel angel saenz S Película imperdible, actuaciones sólidas y una dirección sublime con situaciones humanas y giros inesperados Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/10/22 Full Review Late R Almost as if Carlos Vermut wanted to prove to Yorgos Lanthimos that he isn't the only Mediterranean director who can pull off a strange tone (although it's restrained compared to the Greek director's work), this is one of those films that might put those off who like structured things that make perfect sense. If, however, you're willing to go along for the ride, ‘Magical Girl' has some wonderful and weird moments, interweaving its unstable characters' lives in bizarre, unpredictable, and completely unbelievable ways. It's that which makes it interesting. The material is mostly sad and dark, but the way Vermut handles it almost borders on – I don't want to say "comedy" because it really isn't particularly funny – but certainly with a much lighter tone than you'd expect. There are three main characters, but Barbara Lennie is the centrepiece and it's her fantastic performance that carries the entire film – without her, I'm not sure it would work half as well. It has its faults and there are things that don't work so well, but not being able to tell which direction the story's going to take and how it's going to end is a great strength and kept me watching (and mostly enjoying) all the way through. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/22 Full Review Audience Member A veces uno tiene la suerte de encontrarse con joyas cómo ésta. Carlos Vermut dirige ésta película española con un balance interesante entre la sobriedad de sus escenas y la obscuridad que poco a poco va envolviendo a sus personajes. Un padre desempleado quiere comprar un regalo para su hija enferma de leucemia, para conseguir el dinero tendrá que hacer cosas que no se sabía capaz, y su vida tendrá que converger con una extraña y obscura mujer y un maestro de matemáticas retirado, todos unidos por la tragedia. La película es lenta, tortuosa pero eso juega a su favor, no será una película para todo el público por la densidad de su guión y lo prolongado de sus escenas, pero el que logre desafiar ésos detalles se llevará una grata sorpresa. Fue un deleite ver ésta película, ojalá sigan produciendo éste tipo de cine, que trasciende y reta al espectador a poner atención, reflexionar y disfrutar de una historia compleja, fuerte y directa. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member I know there are people out there like Barbara, Damian, and Luis. People find themselves in desperate situations calling for desperate measures that can destroy them even as they are meant to put things right or in some sort of functional order. There are also women like Ada who will facilitate the debasement, prostitution and even violent death of other women for a cut. And I know well there are people out there like the man Barbara submits herself to for the money she is being blackmailed for who have damned little if any empathy for others and take great pleasure in the abject suffering of others, esp. women. All of this is brought to life in all too real, disturbing ways in Magical Girl. Barbara Lennie is a very interesting actress. I've seen her in two films so far where she is a lead character. Both required her to express sadness, dread, uncertainty in a fragile state. She is able to put across a strong sense of being uncomfortable, unsettled in her life. Her characters in Magical Girl and Sunday's Illness are rather singular people. Barbara may be mentally ill. She is certainly unstable and in need of her husband's care and watchful eye. This is clear when she makes one very fateful mistake when it appears he has left her. It's that choice, sparked by the most random action, that will be fateful for three key characters in the film. Sacristan is also quite good in the movie. I won't see this one again, for obvious reasons. Still, there are unquestionable aspects of this film that are very well done, from the tone to the conviction of the writing. One critical review I read said the film made the critic laugh at moments- 'obsidian black humor' or some such twaddle. That guy sounds like something of a twisto. 3.2 stars Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Best spanish film in decades! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member sick, twisted and perverted and near perfect. watch it to feel surprised again by plot. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Magical Girl

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A desperate man (Luis Bermejo) blackmails a mentally ill woman (Bárbara Lennie) to buy a dress for his terminally ill daughter (Lucía Pollán).
Director
Carlos Vermut
Screenwriter
Carlos Vermut
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
European Spanish
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 8, 2017
Runtime
2h 7m
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