Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Women comically hunt spirits; violence, language, smoking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Phenomena
What's the Story?
The three women and a priest at the heart of PHENOMENA are Spain's premier paranormal experts. Gloria (Toni Acosta) is the witch who makes contact with the spirits, Paz (Gracia Olayo) brings the recording equipment, Father Pilon (Emilio Gutierrez Caba) brings the gravitas of the church, and Sagraria (Belen Rueda) is the impresario who promotes them all on television. They've long worked together to root out evil spirits disrupting people's lives, calling themselves the Hepta Group (an actual group whose exploits the movie is based on). There's a lot of comic banter among the women, all of them heavy smokers and skeptics. They doubt a new client: a man running an antiques shop who claims a spirit is disrupting his business. When Father Pilon ends up in the hospital after a quick look-see, the team moves in. On a predictably rainy, dark night, the women and Pablo (Oscar Ortuno), a young physics student determined to offer an ordinary explanation for all seemingly paranormal activity, arrive to investigate. The conclusion is that the creaking, groaning, whirling light fixtures and mysteriously moving furniture have been caused by a human bad actor. Calling it a night, the women leave -- and then, back to find a lost item, they discover how wrong they were.
Is It Any Good?
Phenomena is hard to follow at first and later settles into tolerable mediocrity. As the action begins, it's difficult to know that the tone is meant to be silly and comic. But the easy banter among three old paranormal activity-hunting friends is soon juxtaposed against plain old horror/supernatural scenes that could be in any generic movie about evil spirits. The movie ends with a chaotic final 15 minutes of flooding, falling pillars, secret caverns, a possessed woman roaring, a priest's "you can do it" pep talk, and pounding music, and most of it in semi-darkness. It's a barely comprehensible mess. It's too bad, because the trio of spirit hunters -- played by the energetic Rueda, Olayo, and Acosta -- are fun to watch. If only they were together in a different movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how this is "inspired by real events." Does the movie make you want to find out more about the real Hepta Group? Why, or why not?
Do you think paranormal activity happens? Do you think there may be "normal" explanations for weird activities? How does the movie talk about normal explanations for seemingly abnormal occurrences?
The physics student serves as the nonbeliever. When he's convinced that paranormal activity is real, does it convince you too? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 14, 2023
- Cast : Belen Rueda , Gracia Olayo , Toni Acosta
- Director : Carlos Theron
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : April 25, 2023
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