The Old Ways: Movie REVIEW

The Old Ways. I watched this movie with an open mind and no preconceived expectations. I watched the trailer but didn’t read any reviews or anything else that was written about it. I wanted to give you an honest review of what this movie is about in my own words and what I thought about this movie, and so here it is. Enjoy!

The movie starts with an opening scene based in Mexico, a mother and daughter. The daughter ends up being the main character of the movie, Christina Lopez. Her mother is possessed by some type of demon. They found a healer to try and rid her of the demon but it failed and Christina was taken to the USA and put into foster care.  Back to current day events and the kidnapping of Christina Lopez. She is older now and an American reporter. She went back to her home town in Mexico looking to do a story on local tribes and cultures. But it goes wrong and she ends up a prisoner, locked in a room, confused and surrounded by people she thinks do not understand her. The man who is holding her captive asks Christina what she is looking for? She is scared and just wants to be let go, this was some misunderstanding right?

The Bruja (Spanish word for Witch) who has only one eye, face painted with feathers in hair tells the man she has “IT”. But was is IT exactly? You’re left wondering. Obviously Christina is trying to brake free from her chains. She has flash backs to cave she visited before she ended up in that room. With the ominous music vibe playing, she sees something from the shadows. She screams with terror. When she wakes up she’s left wondering, was it a dream? Is it just in her head? Is she crazy or, is it something worse …

Still in the creepy room that she shares with a rooster, Christina remains a captive in her chains. There are candles everywhere, on the floor and on the walls. She finds herself looking at the strange symbols drawn on the wall: a hand, eye, flower, pentagram, skull, upside down cross, chalice, sun, moon and something that looks like a mouth with teeth …

Her cousin, Miranda told her not to come! She wants to know why on earth she would come to La Boca!! Meanwhile the Bruja practices the old ways, performing her rituals and spells. She sees a demon inside Christina. She will not let here leave. Christina pleads to her cousin but they are the authorities. She must stay. Christina frantic and desperate pleads for her bag, she shows Miranda and the man her camera, “look no demons” but the man doesn’t buy it.
Christina’s phone rings, (a glimer of hope to be saved she thinks) she answers and cries for help!! But help is not coming from the other end of that phone.

The bruja, man and Miranda are going to perform an exorcism on Christina. But she is desperately trying to resist, I have no demon, let me go, as you would imagine, is all she keeps saying. Christina sees a young boy, she tries to communicate with him but he goes away so she talks to the rooster (I found quite a few humorous parts throughout this movie that I think added to my enjoyment for sure). But on a darker note, Christina has a dark secret that she has been hiding from you. She sneakily grabbed her drugs from the bag when noone was looking. She hid a way her drugs! Heroine. A needle for defense maybe … Christina passes out then a harsh wake-up to find herself in the middle of a ritual. Panicked and tied up on the floor, painted in blood. The Bruja thinks her passing out is when the demon came. They are making the demon show it’s self.

This got me thinking about whether drugs are our demons? Certain drugs perpetuate negative behaviors and thought cycles (just some food for thought). Another funny part of this movie was when Christina decide to try and fake the Bruja out lol I found this quite amusing, like she wouldn’t be able to tell if you were faking or not! Before Christina can think of another way to break free, snakes begin to come through the window, slithering all over her (ew) up her leg over her arms, in her face .. then (phew) the man comes and snatches the snakes away just in time.

Christina is mad at her cousin for not being there. Miranda tells her she believes she has a demon. Christina can’t take it and takes her diminishing drugs, as she passes out she has many different scary visions of evil & death, then wakes up to a mutilated rooster. Christina is given a book depicting all the things she saw when tripping on her drugs. Her cousin pleads with her that she has to remember and know what she is seeing. Angry at Miranda, Christina grabs and scratches her arm … a vital moment so pay attention. She is given a red book with marked pages to study, to know her enemy, the demon. Christina studies then she gets to the right page and the candle blows out. It keep blowing out.
The demon inside her is in the book she is reading. All candles systematically blown out. In a dark corner with just her lighter in hand, into the darkness she steps. Her chain stops her short of facing her demon. Fear is running high.

The next day, she peers through the bars to see the boy outside. What is that all about? Who is this boy?
Miranda brings her box and doll for protection. For the evil spirit escape to. The Bruja performs a Psychic surgery, ritual on Christina, this part is pretty gross so be prepared. What is it that she pulls out of her? OMG this is really uncomfortable watching, what the hell, a snake!? Christina turns violent towards Miranda. She is mad she brought her there. But I though she told her not to come? Christina keeps having flash backs. The doll. A rat. The demon eats the rat. What is that in the corner? The Man comes in with his shamanic bells. Christina attacks. No! She doesn’t understand he was just trying to help. She is death.

Christina escapes the room … but not the demon. She cannot leave. She is house bound by salt. Another gross moment as she pulls something gross out from mouth … what the hell is it!!! The Bruja smells it … you want milk? Purge. The demon is still inside of you.

The Bruja gives the man some advise that really stood out to me and resonates, she said:

Where there is forgiveness there is peace.

The Bruja – The Old Ways – Netflix Movie 2020

Christina apologies to the man and tends to the wounds she inflicted on him. The Man opens up and shares his story. (turns out he speaks English after all!). He has been doing exorcism for a long time. His father died. He’s their to fight demons. The Bruja reads the bones pulled from Christina and casts her spells.
Finally coming round and understanding that they are there to help her, Christina cleans the room in preparation for the exorcism. The broken man? a dangerous ritual to bring out the demon and destroy it. Christina is in.
Before the ritual she confesses (youtube style) she admits the real reason she came to la Boca. The Bruja’s name is Luce (I though this was interesting). Ritual time. Christina lay the floor in a crucifix position. Much pain. Shamanic dancing. Can Christina take it? She hears a whisper: “You will see a” – but what does it mean?

Flash backs of Christina in the cave, the note “don’t let me die” the same one she wrote for her fish. Images of her Mom possessed. She remembers. Then she remembers seeing the boy … Deeper into the cave she sees the demon.
But the boy… can you figure it out? Now the movie gets juicy. Captivated by how well the visuals are for this movie, the door locked, wind blowing .. demon out!

But Did it work? At what sacrifice? You’ll have to watch to find out!!

Never wish to be better, just be.

The Man – The Old Ways – Netflix Movie 2020

I have to say, this movie was very enjoyable, personally I would have like the Bruja (Witch) to have had more of a main role and to delve into the witchcraft side in more detail (but that’s just me). Is Miranda ok after all this? Something catches Christina’s eye … it’s the Bruja … it’s time for Christina to learn the old ways. In this movie the demon can only live inside you if you are broken, sad or depressed and in pain. They feed off pain. Maybe there is a hidden message for all of us to think about. Using the words of Christina Lopez:

We all have to face our demons and do battle like a bruja!

Christina Lopez – The Old Ways – Netflix Movie 2020