Alex de la Iglesias is credited big here - not sure what his true involvement is. Maybe he is "only" a producer and let the director loose to do what the director and the vision was ... creating something quite unique in a sense. But still something that most of us can relate too. Family, fight of good vs evil and a lot of social commentary thrown in for good measure.

Bullying is something that will not go away soon ... and the way to deal with it is not always easy to see. But the movie is not here to give you a bluepring on how to live your life. It does tell you that appearances can be deceiving - quite literally.

A lot of fantasy to get your mind of things - a bit of cliches thrown in there sometimes that may be a bit ... hurting the movie. And some moral inconsistencies that may feel weird too. But if you can suspend your disbelief and just roll with it (and look away when you clearly can see twists way ahead of their reveal) ... you'll have a "good" time ... you know what I mean? Don't get hot and bothered - pun intended.

This film essentially begins in the nineteenth century with a reluctant soldier by the name of "Patxi" (Kandido Uranga) deciding to desert after 2 years of war in order to return to his wife in northern Spain. Unfortunately, he is caught and swiftly put before a firing squad. In frantic desperation he makes a deal with the devil to sell his soul in exchange for the opportunity to see his wife again. So just when the bullets strike his body a demon by the name of "Sartael" (Eneko Sargardoy) appears and together they proceed to kill those in the firing squad and subsequently head back to France. However, when he comes back home he finds that his wife has not only taken another lover but has given a young daughter to this man as well. In a fit of rage he kills his rival and upon almost killing the baby turns to see that his wife has commited suicide. Feeling tricked by Sartael he then binds the demon in chains and puts him in a cage where he cannot escape-and therefore cannot take his soul. After this he gives the young baby to some people in a nearby village and proceeds to live a life in solitude. Several years later a young girl named "Usue" (Uma Bracagilia) sneaks into his house and seeing a young boy in a cage decides to release him. Needless to say, she is horrified to see what he suddenly morphs into and the evil that she has just released. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather dark fantasy film which was difficult to follow at times in large part because of the manner in which the director (Paul Urkijo Alijo) chose to present the story. Likewise, lacking the necessary suspense or horror the overall movie seemed rather tame and mild to me. That being the case, I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly below average.

Well, where to start with "Errementari"?

First of all, I have to say that "Errementari" is not your average fantasy horror movie. It has a pretty straight forward storyline, sure, but writers Paul Urkijo Alijo, Asier Guerricaechebarría and Paul Urkijo Alijo managed to squeeze so much more out of the storyline than just your average fantasy horror movie.

What works for "Errementari" is the setting, because it definitely feels very believable and realistic, and that definitely works well in favor of the movie and the atmosphere of the movie. The props, costumes and sets were really nice and there had really been paid attention to small details. And that showed on the screen.

The storyline is good, because it is a very interesting story. And it is very nicely compiled, told and paced by director Paul Urkijo Alijo, slowly building up the intensity and then completely throwing a curve ball to the audience. I liked the plot twists there were along the way. I hadn't foreseen those, so they were very interesting and surprising. Something that really brought the storyline nicely along.

It should also be said that the acting performances in the movie were good, and the actors and actresses cast for the roles really carried the movie well, as they put on good performances.

The special effects were good as well, and I do love practical creature effects. And trust me, the creature designs and effects in "Errementari" were fabulous. I love those. And they make it well-worth to sit down and watch the movie.

"Errementari" was a nice surprise of an entertaining movie for me. It was not one I had expected much from, to be bluntly honest. If you enjoy a good old fashioned horror movie, then "Errementari" is a good choice.

My rating of this 2017 Basque fantasy horror movie lands on a well deserved six out of ten stars.