With some films, everything is predictable. The films seem to be written to be predictable, so much so that they lack any resonance or materialism. This seems to be the case with the 2025 horror film “Rosario.” ” A film with a pulse but not a heartbeat.
A Premonitory Meeting
This is the story of a girl who grows into a woman with her family’s legacy on her shoulders. She is a successful broker, and it seems that ambition has lent her to leave the past behind her. That includes her grandmother, mom, and dad, whose close-knit relationship dissolved years prior.
We meet Rosario as that young girl with dreams and hopes. It’s her birthday, and she’s the center of attention. What we know of her is that she has a deep desire to make all her dreams a reality. Her family seems not only close knit but also people of faith. There is one who seems to stand on the fringe. Her path seems a little more darkened by something we as viewers are, nor is our protagonist aware of. Her ways draw Rosario to her to seek and to inquire, and in a minute of dialogue, we understand that her path is truly much darker than the rest; we are not aware of just how much.
Let The Games Begin
Our inciting incident happens when a much older Rosario receives a phone call that her grandmother has passed. She is called back to reclaim the body. Rosario, who has not seen her grandmother for some time, reluctantly agrees to undertake the task upon learning that her father is also on his way. Upon her arrival, it is when the fun and games begin. Things are obviously not quite normal; they are quite eerie and more than macabre. Yet misplaced curiosity is Rosario’s go-to. As viewers, the rest is not complicated. It is this inherent character flaw that pushes the story forward and leaves nothing to chance, and thus, we go along for the ride. The movie takes an everything that could go wrong goes wrong approach.
All Thread, No Needle: The Unraveling of “Rosario”
The film does attempt a twist or two that remotely serve to pull the viewer back in. And it is enough to elicit a jump or two. It also must be said that the film does win for some pretty grotesque moments and would likely serve those viewers who define horror as a little bit uncomfortable, oozie, and putrid. The story plays on the sentiment that one should not seek to stand in the way of life and its due course. Seeking to play a position one was never intended for and diving into elements with which one has little awareness is a recipe for disaster. One means well, but it does not mean things will turn out well.
Finally, we get an understanding of what has unfolded. It puts the protagonist in a very precarious position. That is not a negative in and of itself, as an ultimate showdown or raised point of conflict gives a film the intensity it needs to put viewers on the edge of their seats. It is one of the film’s saving graces.
Dangling Threads
This film does not tie the film up in a nice and neat bow. It leaves a huge and unsightly thread dangling. It is up to the viewer to make of it what they will. All in all, Rosario did not make the impact that was likely hoped for. It went down as another work to be added to the canon of horror, but not distinctively outstanding in any way to be remembered. It’s not a story you return to. It can perhaps be enjoyed when there is little to fill the time with and a desire to watch something with a hint of horror.
Uncut Diamonds 