Director Rodrigo Prieto, known for his cinematography in acclaimed films such as “Barbie”, “Killers of the Flower Moon”, and “Brokeback Mountain”, makes his directorial debut with an adaptation of Juan Rulfo’s 1955 Mexican classic novel "Pedro Páramo". Prieto's adept adaptation pulls the observer into a world of time-surfing spirits and sombre memories.
Tenoch Huerta, known for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, portrays Juan Preciado, a character on a quest to navigate his family's past. His journey takes him to his deceased mother’s childhood village of Comala in post-Revolution Mexico where he encounters various personalities, mostly spirits who were once acquainted with his family.
Through these encounters and narrations, the movie flawlessly swings between different time periods, piecing together the nefarious past of Juan's father, Pedro Páramo, played by Manuel García Rulfo. As Juan uncovers more about his father, a powerful figure who held sway over Comala, an undeniable sense of tragedy begins to form around Pedro's narrative.
Prieto's storytelling is layered and immersive, with back-and-forths in the timeline and shifting points-of-view. The transitions are ingeniously handled, particularly when they frame the past alongside the present, bringing color to the dreary present settings. Despite its high drama and operatic performances, the film loses some of its initial allure by its second half, sinking too deeply into its historical narrative without adequately returning to its principal, mystical setting.
However, "Pedro Páramo" stands as an immersive experience, marked by Prieto’s command over imagery and mood. The film, despite its occasional narrative miscalculations, remains alluring due to its underlying sense of tragic anticipation that echoes throughout its runtime.
