Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (3/5)

Errementari – The Blacksmith and the Devil is now on Netflix. It’s a fantasy horror told from a child’s point of view. And it probably isn’t for everyone. Still, if you like fantasy, you should give it a shot!

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil is new to Netflix – and therefore to most of the world. It’s a fantasy horror movie based on an old fable where a blacksmith battles the devil himself.

However, in this movie, the actual battle is with a demon of sorts. I was expecting a movie along the lines of Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro.

If you’re thinking the new Netflix movie Errementari is anything like that movie, then you will definitely be disappointed.

A horror fable for kids?

It’s very difficult to define Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil correctly. It definitely has creepy moments and is built like a horror movie. And yet, the fantasy element and child’s POV takes precedence.

During some scenes, I felt like I was watching a movie for kids. The next scene, something would happen that was definitely not kid-friendly.

If you’re a parent with kids that enjoy fantasy and (some) horror movies, then you could check this out. Just be ready to hold their hand or explain certain elements to them. It’s pretty brutal at times.

In part also because it takes place a long time ago when people lived under different circumstances.

Gollum as a demon

My biggest issue as an adult horror fan (who loves fantasy and adventure movies) was the actual demon. Once I really got to look at him, he wasn’t scary at all. Instead, he becomes almost funny and quirky.

When it comes to the demon, we’re talking a man in makeup and prosthetics. Not any weird CGI or animation. This could be scary enough if you think of the creatures from Pan’s Labyrinth, but it just isn’t.

He almost reminded me (as a character) of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Someone who’s forced to be in a position due to the impact of other elements. In these cases, the ring and the devil for Gollum and the demon respectively.

The upside to this is the fact that the demon gets to say some pretty funny and off-beat stuff. Again, not very kid-friendly!

However, the strangest thing for me was that the demon had these weird gill-like things around his ears. They made him look more like the creature from The Shape of Water than anything out of Pan’s Labyrinth.

And for a fantasy horror like Errementari, you definitely want the latter!

Errementari on Netflix is not for everyone

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil was directed and co-written by Paul Urkijo Alijo.

Paul Urkijo Alijo is a younger filmmaker (born 1984) from the Basque Country in Spain. This movie is also made in this area and the language spoken is Basque. This is his feature film debut as both writer and director though he has done a few short films in the past.

The co-writer for the screenplay is Asier Guerricaechevarría. Not someone I’m familiar with though I have a feeling maybe that will change with more movies coming out.

I’m sure Errementari is a movie that will satisfy most people from this area. Or with a connection to the Basque Country. For me, it didn’t quite hit home but I do appreciate several elements of it. And I definitely think it has an audience that will love it.

Errementari (The Blacksmith and the Devil) is out on Netflix in most countries now!

Details

Director: Paul Urkijo Alijo
Cast: Uma Bracaglia | Jose Ramon Argoitia | Kandido Uranga | Aitor Urtzelai | Gorka Aguinagalde | Inigo de la Iglesia | Josean Bengoetxea | Eneko Sagardoy | Ramon Agirre | Gotzon Sanchez | Ramon Aguirre

Plot

A solitary blacksmith is locked in a vicious rivalry with the devil until a little girl appears in their lives by chance.