The Old ways

Quick Background

The Old Ways was released in 2020, written by Marcos Gabriel, and directed by Chrisopher Alender, and currently streaming on Netflix. The story of an LA journalist, Cristina Lopez, who goes back home to Mexico, to a home that hasn't been there since her mother’s incident. She visits a cave to take photographs for work. It is said that no one returns from this cave, and still she enters, even after her cousin’s explicit warning. 

She wakes up some time later with her ankles chained to a strange bed in a stranger room. She has no idea what is happening, until a day later when after asking for her cousin Miranda by name, she arrives. Seemingly only to inform her that the old man and the Bruja (witch) who are holding here there, believe that Cristina has a demon within her. 

Ok so that’s the basic trailer information we get from the preview and summary when you look at Netflix. I will do my best to keep the spoilers to a minimum from here.

Type of Movie

So this is clearly an exorcism movie, where the main character doesn’t believe in the supernatural. We have seen this a ton of times before as it is a pretty popular trope. This is one of those movies where the nonbeliever becomes devoted to the cause.

There are a few minor jump scares, but the movie really focuses on Cristina and her past, and who she is, was, and will be. As much as this is a horror exorcism it is also a movie about finding yourself. It does also delve into some of the now less popular practices of witchcraft in Mexico.

Yay or Nay?

If you are all about the crazy exorcism, and the old ways they used to be done this is a movie for you. It does have some interesting old school practices portrayed. There is also some serious drug use portrayed so if that’s a trigger for you I’d steer clear. 

There are great flashbacks to her mother’s exorcism, which we can only assume went horribly wrong, as well as her walking into La Boca, the cave. We see the nonbeliever main character go through some crazy possessed moments and become the believer. She even starts suggesting specific rituals from the book to rid herself of the demon.

We get to go on this weird and interesting journey with her and I love where she ends up. Would definitely watch it again with my horror movie buddies. 

Definitely a yay!