Movies
[Review] ‘Scherzo Diabolico’ is Devilishly Clever
To get a bit on the philosophical side of things for a moment, life would be pretty boring if your job was always going a mile a minute. Sure, the same can be said if your job was constantly slower than rush hour. You need something to break the monotony of the fast (or slow) pace of work to keep your sanity. Like, say, kidnapping someone. Perhaps not something as drastic (or illegal) as that, but for filmmaker Adrián García Bogliano’s Scherzo Diabolico (which premièred at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival), the not-so-simple act of kidnapping sets off a disturbing tale of blood and twisting emotions.
Aram (Francisco Barreiro) lives a miserable life. Underappreciated at home and at his accounting job, the only reprieve Aram receives is from a CD of classical piano that he listens to while at work or in the car. Looking for something to pull him out of his funk and to get the recognition that he feels he deserves, Aram concocts a plan to kidnap a teenaged girl, Anie (Daniela Soto Vell), and hold her hostage. But even after Aram plans out, researches every detail, and goes through with the kidnapping, the subsequent fallout after he releases the girl sets off a chain of events that he fails to foresee.
I’ll put this out here right now and state that Scherzo Diabolico is another slow-burner. The film takes its time gathering all of the necessary pieces, building up the pressure before the dam bursts. It makes for getting Barreiro’s character established and known to the audience about his predicament, as well as the facade he wears in front of his peers. Of course, this only works if Barreiro’s acting makes it work. Fortunately, Barreiro is able to carry the film through Aram. Everyone involved turns in believable and well-acted performances, but Barreiro is the linchpin. Barreiro nails the submissive and timid actions of Aram, which makes the dark and brutal underlying side of the character that much more shocking when it’s unleashed. There’s a very real sense of betrayal once you find out what lurks behind Aram’s eyes. And as the film progresses, what sympathy you felt for Aram turns into a need for him to be punished. Kudos to Barreiro for finding all of that.
Another aspect of the film that I enjoyed was its classical score. A mix of works by classic artists like Mozart, as well as original pieces by Sealtiel Alatriste, the score drives the film’s action (such as when Aram is planning out his kidnapping and executing it), but also is integral to the film’s plot (you’ll see). I’m always amazed at the dichotomy whenever a film uses a classical piece (or any sort of clam music) mixed in a scene of violence or a tense moment. There’s such a great contrast that plays with your head. There’s a certain scene involving Anie right after being released that typifies this contrast. The film revels in going into the almost comically brutal aspects of violence, and there’s even some dark humour thrown in for good measure (depending on your level of depravity). Some truly masterful work by García Bogliano to construct scenes like this.
If Scherzo Diabolico hits any wrong notes, it would be for the pacing. The scenes that are necessary to advance the plot do get drawn out a little too long, but these in turn make the payoff that much more rewarding. Still, some might find it tedious. As well, the film does deal with a bit of subject matter that some might find objectionable/offensive, but it’s all part of the story. And really, the touchy subject matter doesn’t go into full-blown exploitation area for the sake of it, but instead treads the line carefully. It resolves itself in the end, so getting into an uproar about it would be pointless.
If you dug Adrián García Bogliano’s Here Comes The Devil and its slow burn but ultimately rewarding experience, Scherzo Diabolico will definitely fit the bill. Not only does the acting do its job, García Bogliano’s attention behind the camera, as well as the use of music in the film, make it worth the watch. While some might find parts of the film tedious, and some of the subject matter might not be to everyone’s liking, persistence definitely pays off. If you’re into seeing a mindf*ck of a film where actions take a big domino effect, then play a little Scherzo Diabolico.
Scherzo Diabolico releases in the US on May 3rd.
Judging from the unprecedented box office success of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms adaptation, you’ve likely already seen the liminal horror hit that managed to make audiences afraid of empty hallways and bad wallpaper. And now that so many of us have already entered the yellow labyrinth (some of us more than once), the time has come to discuss the spoiler-filled details that make the movie so fascinating in the first place.
And if there’s one element here that makes the Backrooms movie stand out from any previous lore/mythology, it has to be the genius addition of the Still Life entities. Warped recreations of real people that somehow wandered into the Complex, these misremembered creatures are responsible for some of the most disturbing imagery of 2026 – as well as laugh-out-loud memes created by one of the film’s very own concept artists.
However, true to Parsons’ word that the movie would rely heavily on practical effects, each of these distorted monsters was brought to life by real actors under heavy layers of makeup and prosthetics (with the occasional splash of CGI enhancements). While Anora and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actress Ivy Wolk wasn’t among these performers, despite what Letterboxd might have you believe, the creature cast did benefit from veteran players with plenty of genre experience.
For starters, Alien: Romulus alumni Robert Bobroczkyi (who previously brought that film’s horrific Offspring to life during its most memorable sequence) plays the flick’s main antagonist, the Still Life version of Captain Clark. And though there was some obvious CGI involved in making the character’s peg-leg and nightmarish face more believable, Bobroczkyi’s monstrous performance and his natural 7’7″ frame helped to make that final chase sequence a clear highlight among this year’s genre offerings.
The film’s Texas-Chain-Saw-inspired “dinner” scene also features a freaky collection of less-aggressive Still Life creatures in the form of the Bearded Man, the Red-Headed Woman and, strangest of them all, the cheekily named “Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life” (who earned this title among fans and crewmembers as a reference to his apparent affinity for lamps).
While this was the first major horror outing for both Patrick Baynham (The Bearded Man) and Dana Mahmood (Archibald), Rhiannon Roberts has worked as a stunt performer in everything from Yellowjackets to HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation – which is probably why The Red-Headed Woman is the most active out of Clark’s impromptu “family.” That being said, the Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life is my personal favorite of the bunch simply because his anachronistic outfit suggests that the Backrooms phenomenon might be a lot older than the Async Foundation. I also love how hard he tries to be helpful with that little light of his!
That might be it for the Still Life entities, but I think horror fans will also be pleased to hear that the film’s Found Footage prologue stars none other than Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City star Avan Jogia as Naren Warne – and American Mary herself Katharine Isabelle also shows up in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at Mary’s house party towards the middle of the story (though I have a feeling that she originally had a bigger part that was likely cut for time).
At the end of the day, Parsons’ Backrooms may have been an auteur-driven project motivated by the young director’s unique take on the classic creepypasta, but film has always been a collective artform, so it’s fun to see just how many talented performers it takes to bring this kind of supernatural nightmare to life in a way that connects with so many people.
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