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‘The Virgin of the Quarry Lake’ Review: Adolescent Envy Turns Deadly in an Atmospheric Argentine Oddity
In her debut 'The Virgin of the Quarry Lake,' Laura Casabé brings much humid mood to an enigmatic script by leading local filmmaker Benjamin Naishtat.
Both a “Carrie”-esque tale of teenage urges so intense they swell into destructive chaos and a snapshot of a mismanaged country reaching a breaking point of public unrest, “Quarry Lake” bears the smart, politically conscious stamp of screenwriter Benjamin Naishtat (the celebrated director of “Rojo” amd “Puan”), though Casabé brings a distinct female gaze to the material. Quietly frightening in its study of civility being set aside either for reasons of selfish desire or collective rebellion, and touched with a magical realism that doesn’t work in expected ways, “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake” qualifies as a horror film of sorts, though it may disappoint any viewers seeking more straightforwardly visceral genre thrills. In the dusty suburbs of Buenos Aires, where she lives with her grandmother (Luisa Merelas) after her mother long ago fled to Europe, restless teenager Natalia (striking newcomer Dolores Olivero) is more preoccupied with personal pursuits — specifically Diego (Agustín Sosa), a slightly older boy with taunting come-hither eyes and an anchor tattooed on his neck.
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