Aunt Alejandra (1979)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

How sad is this?

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The language used by Ripstein in "La tía Alejandra" is very simple in almost all the film. There are very few camera movements, almost always direct angles, without music and barely special effects. All this helps to centered the atteintion around the story and the characters, with great acting of Isabela Corona (as Alejandra) and Diana Bracho (as Lucía). Just at the end, when both women struggle it is barely richer.The identity of Alejandra and the origin of deaths in the house are ambivalent. She can be a real witch or just a eccentric woman pretending to have powers, so the family could be going crazy and misjudging Alejandra... the spectator decides. The boiling water is never seeing while Malena is inside the bath, Martha is not turned into bird, and Lucía keeps hearing Alejandra's corpse, for example.The old house where everything happens gives a macabre atmosphere. At the end, Lucía is the only real murder, also cruel. In the last part she appears covered with shadows and her dress is black, in opposition, Alejandra appears clear and with direct lights, even after death.

A quality Mexican Horror film that has the elements to be considered a Classic. In the likes of Mexican Horror Carlos Enrique Taboada, this movie has a creepy atmosphere, eerie settings, and a Giallo look that makes the viewing experience truly uncomfortable.The plot deals with witchcraft and revenge. For being a Mexican movie, it covers aspects that not many movies do: the murder of children and rituals.But the movie focuses more on creepy scenes that deal with witchcraft. The possessed puppets will always stay in my mind because it's truly a unique element from the movie. Plus, Alejandra's death is truly inspired by Italian Horror from the 70's. A winning formula if you say.The cast is perfect. Isabel Corona delivers a tremendous performance as Tia Alejandra. She looks evil and indifferent. Her revenge is portrayed perfectly. Diana Bracho is EXCELLENT as always. Manuel Ojeda is good on his role and his death always makes me cringe although it's not very graphic.The children did a good job.This movie always moved me in a negative way because we Mexicans have a conception of very old women as being tender, nice. And also we always seem to think children are not dangerous. In this movie, it's proved wrong and thing gets worse when there's a revenge sub-plot.Please watch this creepy Mexican tale of Horror. You won't be disappointed.

"La tía Alejandra" demonstrates very well that rare, occult Mexican tradition of paying tribute to the dead, demons and the dark side of the Mexican folklore. For me, the movie has a dominant power in ambiance made possible by a a great cast (Diana Bracho has always been remarkable)and subtle horror. Overall most elements that bring a fantastic story alive, work very well together. In some sort of way the movie has a very Mario Bava feeling to it, the plot not being too complex nor too unpredictable, the fear factors are quite clear and the whole story emerges through Aunt Alejandras' character. Despite all this, the objective is not focused in puzzle solving by the viewer but frightening him with bleak surroundings and sounds (tough the music is a huge flaw in my opinion)I find this movie to get even more frightening as time goes by and since it was filmed in the late seventies the structure of the old traditional Mexico helps a lot to create mystery and mysticism; this, however might be difficult to relate to foreign viewers that are not familiar to "old" Mexican traditions but at the same time it pretty much gives a good idea of what Mexican ghost stories and legends are about."La tia alejandra" is perhaps far from being a horror classic but it is very overlooked and underrated, I recommend it for horror fans who prefer a chill in their spine than blood and guts on their screen.