Poison for the Fairies
Veneno para las hadas

Writer/director Carlos Enrique Taboada's whimsically devilish Mexican gothic psychological drama explores the world of childhood friendship dynamics via a dark, moody chiller. Set in 1965 Mexico City, the story centers on Flavia, a lonely, privileged schoolgirl who befriends Veronica, a young orphan who lives with her grandmother. Stoked by the stories her grandmother reads to her, Veronica becomes fascinated with witchcraft. She gets her new friend to join her in this tween obsession by convincing the impressionable Flavia that she is a witch. The stronger Flavia's doubts, the more Veronica doubles down. Veronica's relatively innocent games slowly become more like persistent gaslighting, but her powers of persuasion may be too effective.

Ana Patricia Rojo and Elsa María Gutiérrez are terrific as Veronica and Flavia. While one is blond and the other brunette, they could almost pass for the creepy twin sisters in The Shining. Taboada's screenplay never objectifies them exploitatively, and the film does an excellent job of presenting everything from a child's POV, with almost all the adult faces obscured. Lupe García's cinematography has a dreamy, Magic Journeys look to it, enhanced by the many costumes the two kids get to wear. I often wondered how these young characters kept their dresses and white kneesocks so clean while playing outside in woods, by lakes, on farms, and in cemeteries, but it seemed they had an endless supply of outfits. I would have liked a subplot or two to keep the middle part of the movie from dragging, but I loved the depiction of this unbalanced relationship and where it eventually led.