La ermita (The Chapel) – Spanish Horror Film Review

La Ermita, or “The Chapel” in English, is a Spanish horror film written and directed by Carlota Pereda.

Spanish scream queen Belén Rueda stars alongside talented child actress Maia Zaitegi, who plays Emma, a troubled young girl who is keen to develop her mediumistic abilities.

The film begins by showing a procession of Spanish peasants walking through the countryside accompanied by a group of people attired in uniforms with bird-like masks covering the entire head—the traditional dress of plague doctors during the 16-1700s.

The villagers are taking the local plague victims to the chapel. After they get there, they plan to wall up the door, leaving the sick and dying trapped inside.

One of the villagers is hiding her sick daughter under her skirt but is unable to save her from la ermita because one of the plague doctors hears her coughing and drags her inside.

Until this point, the film appears to be set in the 1600s; then one of the villagers holds up a smartphone and films the plague doctors leaving the chapel. That’s a WTF? moment I never saw coming.

The villagers are taking part in an annual ceremony where the chapel is reopened for four days. After that, the doorway is bricked up again. During the time it’s open children bring dolls and similar toys to deposit in the chapel as gifts for the girl who died inside it centuries before.

Emma is part of the audience and, after she has watched the official opening ceremony, she goes to see her friend Ivana, who is a medium and has been helping Emma to hone her ability to communicate with those who have passed on. Unfortunately, when Emma arrives, she finds her tutor is dead.

The death appears to be natural. However, before Emma finds her friend’s body, she sees a shadow that appears to have been cast by a plague doctor. At the same time, she doubles over with stomach cramps. This happens several times throughout the film and, every time it does, the spirit of a plague doctor is near, suggesting Ivana may have fallen victim to a supernatural attack.

After checking for signs of life, Emma rushes to raise the alarm but, before doing so, she takes possession of a large, old book lying on the medium’s knee. The ancient tome contains occult rituals and information about contacting the dead. Emma doesn’t just read it, she uses it, resulting in various repercussions that often include further issues with stomach cramps.

Bellen Rueda plays Ivana’s daughter Carol, who lives in Madrid, where she makes a living conducting fake seances. Carol’s relationship with her mother was strained to say the least. The reasons for this become clear as the film progresses, as does the cause of the ugly burn that scars one side of her face.

After fleecing her latest clients, Carol checks her messages. There are several from her mother. She ignores them but returns the call from Jon Elorza (Josean Bengoetxea). Carol remembers Jon from her time living in the village. Now working as a police officer, he is the one who gives her the bad news.

After Carol returns to the village to settle her mother’s affairs, it isn’t long before Emma seeks her out and pesters her to continue her training,

Emma’s obsession with talking to the dead is not without a good reason. Her mother is in the hospital dying of cancer and has entrusted some of her neighbours with Emma’s care, a task that’s made difficult by the young girl’s habit of sneaking out during the night. More often than not it’s Jon who finds her and, throughout the film, he shows a father-like concern.

Emma knows she will lose her mother, but is determined to keep in touch. This determination has set her on a dangerous path but she gradually convinces Carol to help her and, like Jon, she willingly accepts the task of keeping Emma from harm.

I’ve watched a number of Spanish horror films. I enjoyed them all and The Chapel is no exception. It’s a good story brought to life by a very capable cast and Maia Zaitegi appears to be a young star with a bright future ahead of her.

Belén Rueda’s character has an interesting backstory that adds much to the film and helps keep things interesting. Although Carol doubts her abilities as a medium, Emma is as much Carol’s teacher as her pupil because her faith in the spirit world proves to be contagious and, by the end of the film, Carol is literally walking through fire to keep the young girl safe.

If you are looking for a high-octane horror film with plenty of special effects, La ermita may not be a good choice. However, if you prefer slower-moving films that place greater focus on the characters and creating an eerie atmosphere, there’s a good chance you will enjoy it. With a runtime of around 1 hour 43 minutes, it’s not overly long and could be a film you may be happy to watch more than once.