DIABLO ROJO PTY

Directed by: Sol Moreno, J. Oskura Nájera

Starring: Carlos Carrasco, Leo Wiznitzer, Alejandra Araúz |

Migel Morino is a Red Devil, one of the many independent bus drivers working in Panama City, who are both an essential part of and a burden to city life. One evening he and his assistant have the worst luck in the world - first getting pulled over by two traffic cops and then attacked by a coven of witches! Managing to reach a church and the aid of a local priest, the group must find a way of surviving the night…

Diablo  Rojo PtY (an abbreviation of Panama City), is the first horror film from Panama to get an international release and is an interesting mix of exotic folklore and familiar horror tropes.

We start off with a scene portraying exactly why these "Red Devils" are so reviled - as they are independent and not state run, the buses are in a constant state of rivalry with each other. They are kitted out in garish paint jobs, fairy lights and other items to make them as appealing as possible to potential passengers, but are seen to be racing each other on the freeway. We also hear on the news how a young woman was recently killed by one of the buses.

It turns out however that this element of the story is a bit of a red herring, as everything which happens to Migel and the unfortunate people dragged into the situation happens for a very personal reason which is relayed in stops and starts throughout the narrative.

The script by  Adair Dominguez and J. Oskura Nájera is the sort of horror siege movie that John Carpenter used to make, and draws upon local superstitions and folklore for its villains, a coven of witches helping one of their members who has just come of age to finally get vengeance for what happened to her mother. There are some very decent fx sequences involving people being turned into winged demons, and there are hints of elves as well as a cannibal tribe who live in the mountains.

The film plays the supernatural elements with a straight bat and its refreshing that all the characters buy into the situation and believe their own two eyes rather than start in a state of denial. Even the priest, Father Andres, doesn't try to argue that such things don't exist (admittedly he's more concerned with one of the people who are injured but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt).  The film's humour mostly comes from Junito, Migel's assistant on the bus. He's a bit of a stoner and discovers that marijuana smoke messes with the witches' heads and puts them momentarily off their game.

There are a lot of good practical makeup fx in this film. It’s a pity we don't see clearly that happens to one of the traffic cop's hand but the reveal of its skinned state later is pretty grizzly. The film has a score which is like an over-the-top version of one of Hammer's vampire movies. It helps bolster some scenes but unfortunately is so constant that it takes the wind out of some of the scares and overall atmosphere.

THE VERDICT

I was reminded of the Turkish horror film, BASKIN, whilst watching this but Diablo Rojo PTY is not as nasty or nihilistic as that shocker. There's a quaint, old-fashioned feel to DIABLO ROJO PTY, in both its story and execution. It's really well made and delivers the right balance of the exotic and the familiar. Hopefully this won't be the last horror film we'll be seeing from Panama.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

 DIABLO ROJO PTY IS AVAILABLE TO RENT OR BUY FROM AMAZON PRIME