Rosario
May 6th, 2025
MOVIE: ROSARIO
STARRING: EMERAUDE TOUBIA, JOSÉ ZÚÑIGA, DAVID DASTMALCHIAN, PAUL BEN-VICTOR
DIRECTED BY: FELIPE VARGAS
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 88 MINUTES
Watching horror movies often means walking a fine line between what to believe and what to dismiss. We accept that Michael Myers can be shot, stabbed, and thrown through windows—only to get up again—because he’s unstoppable by design. We buy into the idea that Jigsaw somehow sets up elaborate traps in record time, because that’s what makes Saw tick.
But with Rosario, we’re asked to believe that a woman would willingly stay in a haunted apartment, enduring demonic torment, simply because the script demands it. Despite its strong technical elements, Rosario ultimately struggles to deliver a cohesive or convincing horror experience.
The story centers on Rosario Fuentes (Emeraude Toubia), a career-driven businesswoman who’s always on the move and glued to her phone. When her father Oscar (José Zúñiga) calls to inform her that her grandmother has passed away, Rosario drops everything to help. She travels to her late grandmother’s apartment to arrange for the body to be taken away—but once she arrives, unsettling events begin, hinting at dark forces still lingering in the space.
Visually and technically, Rosario hits the right horror notes. The makeup work is grotesque and effective, featuring a rotting corpse, swarming insects, and an oppressive atmosphere that creeps under your skin. Director Felipe Vargas, in his feature debut, clearly has a talent for conjuring dread.
The real issues lie in Alan Trezza’s script. Characters, particularly Rosario, behave in ways that strain credibility. A snowstorm outside and a foul stench inside the apartment should be reason enough to leave and come back later. Instead, Rosario chooses to stay, actively exploring the haunted space as if she’s searching for trouble.
It’s this lack of logical character behavior that limits Rosario the most. Single-location horror films can work wonders—think Locke, The Guilty, or Evil Dead Rise. But here, the story rarely leaves the apartment, save for brief scenes with the building’s superintendent, Marty (Paul Ben-Victor), and a creepy neighbor, played with his usual unnerving flair by David Dastmalchian. Their appearances, though intriguing, are too short to add much.
In the end, I was left disappointed by Rosario’s shortcomings. Though Toubia delivers a committed performance, it feels slightly stiff, especially as the plot becomes increasingly repetitive. There’s a clear promise in Vargas as a horror director—his flair for atmosphere and gore suggests a bright future in the genre. But as for Rosario, it feels like a curse better left unbroken.
2 STARS
ROSARIO IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS FRIDAY, MAY 9TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
