Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- claustrophobic
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- arthouse horror night
What critics said
Critics generally praised the performances, production design, score, setting, and spatial mise-en-scène, while finding the early exposition and conclusion problematic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Susana returns to care for Pilar, and the grandmother granddaughter relationship becomes the source of escalating nightmare and family dread.
Critics specifically praised the film’s mise-en-scène and exemplary handling of space as Susana remains trapped in the Madrid home.
Pilar’s stroke, the old woman’s deteriorating condition, and the grandmother granddaughter bond connect bodily vulnerability with family secrets.
Susana’s life as a Paris model is abruptly interrupted by a return to Madrid and an apparently temporary caregiving duty.
Films like La Abuela (The Grandmother), and why
Relic
psychological horror, domestic confinement, and escalating intergenerational dread
The Taking of Deborah Logan
surreal family horror, oppressive domestic space, and disturbing transformation
The Skin I Live In
stylized Spanish horror, family secrets, and unsettling body-centered menace
Movie Details
- Director
- Paco Plaza
- Release Date
- 2022-01-28
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (498)
Cast
- Almudena Amor
- Vera Valdez
- Karina Kolokolchykova
- Marina Gutiérrez
- Berta Sánchez
- Alba Bonnin
- Gabriela Calonfirescu
- Ileana Wilson
- Chacha Huang
- Lle Godoy
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is La Abuela (The Grandmother) about?
- A Paris fashion model’s brief return to Madrid to care for her stricken grandmother becomes a claustrophobic nightmare of family secrets and bodily dread.
- What is La Abuela (The Grandmother) like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of La Abuela (The Grandmother) as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is La Abuela (The Grandmother) violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in La Abuela (The Grandmother) as moderate.
- What did critics think of La Abuela (The Grandmother)?
- Critics generally praised the performances, production design, score, setting, and spatial mise-en-scène, while finding the early exposition and conclusion problematic.
- Which films are like La Abuela (The Grandmother)?
- Films with a similar feel include Relic, The Taking of Deborah Logan, and The Skin I Live In.
- How long is La Abuela (The Grandmother)?
- La Abuela (The Grandmother) runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch La Abuela (The Grandmother)?
- In United States, La Abuela (The Grandmother) is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
