The movie is filmed in Mexico taking place during the sixties. We have Flavia an aristocratic girl of 11 being the new kid on the block. She befriends Veronica, pretty blonde and angelic face who lives with her grandmother and nanny. Her parents died but it's never specified how. Veronica is not really popular in school with the other kids claiming she is a witch. Flavia gets intrigued by this and asks Veroinica if she can cast a spell on her piano teacher as she really hates the lessons. Much to Flavia's surprise the spell actually works but not like she wanted it. Flavia who is kind-hearted feels guilty and Veronica handily takes advantage of that, manipulating her friend to do things she never dared or give away things that are dear to Flavia. How long can Flavia take the psychological domination from her friend? The movie really isn't for the ones expecting horror even the atmosphere is one of a youth drama. I would say psychological thriller at most. The whole movie is focused on the 2 girls (I don't think there is any scene which doesn't have either Flavia or Veronica in it) which is even enforced by rarely showing the faces of the adults. They are usually filmed from the back or chest height. Kudos to the director, really loved that technique. There is lots of scenes (different places outside in mostly sunny landscapes) where the girls gather the most strange ingredients to eventually make the poison for fairies. According to Veronica fairies are the enemies of witches that's why she wants them dead. Most of the scenes look pretty innocent even lovely, fun between two friends. However the ending is quite unexpected and pretty strong. During the whole movie I thought about giving it a 7 or 7,5 but that ending was so good I give it an 8/10.
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o_lopez2 August 2002Veneno Para las Hadas is a very good horror/fantasy movie. It's very psychological too because Graciela (Ana Patricia Rojo) constantly submits her new friend Fabiola (Elsa Maria Gutierrez) through extortion forcing her to believe her that she is a witch and bad things could happen to Fabiola if she doesn't give her what she wants. Graciela is an orphan who listens to her grandmother's horrific fairy tales and her nanny's knowledge about withces and pacts with the devil. Graciela learns a lot about witchcraft and uses her knowledge against Fabiola, the daughter of a rich family, who is new in the all-girls private school where the two first meet. Contrary to Graciela, Fabiola is brought up in a very modern way being told that ghosts, demons and witches don't exist. Not even prayers are encouraged in Fabiola's family. Knowing this Graciela forces Fabiola into giving her the things she wants on basis of her being a witch and there is more convincement by Fabiola when a strange coincidence totally convinces Fabiola that her new friend is indeed a witch. Fabiola changes from skeptic of everything (including prayers) to a believer of ghosts and witches.
The movie is set apart by only the main character's points of view because we never see the faces of the adults, we only see them in unnatural ways or in very low light. Even though Graciela appears to be evil, she and Fabiola are still very young and childish in their behavior.
A great musical score by Carlos Jimenez Mabarak delivers a fairy tale-like atmosphere to the already beautiful cinematography by Lupe Garcia. Set in early 60's Mexico City and the Tlaxcala woods, Veneno para las adas is a fairy tale by itself. A very dark one anyways, like the ones the Nana tells Graciela before going to bed. -
lynette_has_issues23 September 2009At first, Poison for the Fairies may remind American viewers of the classic "Wonderful World of Disney" feature films, leading some people to believe they have been tricked into watching a children's movie. However, it is not for children. It is instead an atmospheric, absorbing fairy tale about two little girls and their intense, unsettling friendship--if one can rightly call a relationship based on psychological dominance as "friendly." The plot is deceptively simple: Lonely, aristocratic Flavia comes to a new school, where she instantly grabs the attention of Veronica, a girl from a lower-class family, who pretends to be a witch in order to comfort herself for a lack of power in the real world. All the other girls have long since learned to ignore Veronica, but Flavia is just innocent enough to believe that Veronica truly is a witch, her beliefs helped along once several macabre coincidences seem to reinforce Veronica's claims that she possesses black magic. Gradually the line between childhood friendship and a master and slave is blurred, and Veronica's games of make-believe witchcraft have filled Flavia with a fear and despair that are far too real.
People who expect a traditional horror film will definitely be disappointed in Poison for the Fairies. The pace of the film, along with the lack of violence or even blood, may be too slow for some viewers to tolerate. Visually, the film looks dated, and certain stylistic techniques (particularly the lengths to which the camera goes in avoiding the faces of adults) seem a little hackneyed. But all in all, this is a film of culminating, creepy horror building to a shocking but inevitable denouement, and well worth a watch. -
Insomniac_moviefan10 July 2002"Veneno para las Hadas" succeeds in every term. The acting is good, expect a solid performance by a young Ana Patricia Rojo. There are some scary scenes, and the twisting end will shock you. Watch it if you wanna get scared. Recommended for fans of the horror genre.
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BandSAboutMovies26 June 2020Poison for the Fairies was directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada, who wrote the Nostradamus series of vampire movies and also directed Even the Wind Is Afraid, Blacker Than the Night and The Book of Stone. This film earned him two Ariel Awards, which are the Mexican equivalent of the Oscar, for Best Picture and Best Director.
If you're a fan of young girls dabbling in witchcraft - and I think by now the movies that I talk about proves that this genre is beloved here - then get ready.
Veronica is an orphan that lives in a crumbling house with her near-dead grandmother and a nanny who has told her all about the power of witchcraft. Any other child would be afraid. Our heroine uses these stories to protect herself against the bullies of her school.
She finally gains a friend in Flavia, a wealthy girl who was raised to be an atheist. Veronica keeps bragging that she's an actual witch and the cause of so much of the bad luck that this small Mexican village has been suffering through. Within days, Flavia is so afraid of Veronica that she will do anything she asks, even giving her some of her most prized possessions and obeying her every whim, even taking her on vacation with her family.
As they spend time in the country, Veronica says that she plans on making poison for the fairies, the natural enemies of las brujas. Flavia, pushed to the point of mania, locks the girl in a barn and watches it burn, ridding the world of witchcraft or, at least, one young girl who pushed her to the brink of madness.
I've never seen a movie quite like this. I'd say that it fits into the realm of folk horror, ala The Blood on Satan's Claw, but filtered through Mexico's unique co-existence of a magical realm and a very real Catholic world. The barn closing also reminds me of another film that is somewhat forgotten, The Other. Malevolent children in both of these films also learn to harness forces - perhaps more real in these examples than Veneno Para las Hadas - that they ultimately cannot truly ever hope to understand. -
Milo-Jeeder22 February 2007Word of advice: if you're looking for a genuine horror film with decent scares and gore, don't expect any of those things in this movie. "Poison for the fairies" is not a horror movie, although it was advertised as one. It was directed by the well known Mexican horror director Carlos Enrique Taboada, which probably led to some misinterpretation when it came out. I would probably label this movie as an exceedingly captivating, charming and stylish adventure/family/dark-comedy with some mildly disturbing situations here and there. Other than that, I would never recommend this film to anyone who is in the mood for real horror. As a matter of fact, I think this movie is in reality suitable for all audiences, including children. The final scene is a little bit wicked, that's true, but the rest of the story is somehow childish and naive in a good way. Even though this film ended up being poles apart from what I was actually expecting, I must say that this film is charming and lovable in a way that I would have never imagined.
"Poison for the fairies", is some kind of wicked fairy tale about two little girls who become friends, despite the fact that there entirely unlike. Flavia is the nice, innocent girl who doesn't know anyone at school and has no friends. On the other hand, Veronica is a weird and yet sweet-looking blonde schoolgirl who happens to be fixated with witches and all kinds of sinister things. This fascination for witchcraft and her peculiar manners, earn her a very bad reputation among the other girls. Regardless, Veronica doesn't seem to care and she even claims to be a witch herself!. At first, Flavia doesn't trust her friend's menacing side, but eventually, she becomes a victim of Veronica's delusional reality and constant charades, until she finally ends up believing what is clearly a lie. In "Poison for the fairies", we see this amusing friendship that connects these two little girls and their deplorable attempts for black magic.
I honestly didn't think I was going to be so fascinated by a movie that didn't promise anything at all, to begin with. "Poison for the fairies" is a movie that reminded me of some of some Italian horror films, due to its artistic virtues and antique settings. "Poison for the fairies" is a very naïve adventure/family/horror fairy tale that shows a magical and dark world seen by an untrained and hopeless little girl who sees an alternative reality. The circumstances that Flavia and Veronica undergo to during the course of this film, are adorably entertaining. I'll never understand why "Poison for the fairies" is actually measured as a horror film by some people. The only scenes that may have a little share of horror, are the ones in which the figure of a creepy witch appears very quickly. Also, the final minutes are a little bit too dark and dramatic for a movie that didn't prepare the audience for something like that and it was the only thing I didn't enjoy that much. Other than that, this film is highly enjoyable, calm and enchanting. Be prepared to enjoy a dark comedy for children, with a very unexpected and powerful ending. -
brujavu17 September 2012There are many things I liked about this film... the main thing being that everything that happens in the film is entirely plausible. To me, that is an essential ingredient for a good suspense film (I would not classify this as a horror film, which to me, implies a lot of slash and gore... although the film does open up with such a scene, it is incongruous with the rest of the story). Another thing that I really liked was the way that we never see the faces of the adults, and in fact, rarely see their heads. Most shots of the adults are of their feet and legs, sometimes their torsos. In this way, it's a bit reminiscent of watching a Charlie Brown cartoon. This technique allows us to focus on the children, and shows the adults as being peripheral to everything that is going on in the little girls' room. I think the main theme is bullying, and it shows how easily a relationship like this can be established, not just among children. I never had the idea that Flavia actually liked Veronica, but once she was convinced of Veroncia's powers (and again, this happened in a very convincing and plausible way), she was terrified of her and also felt beholden to her. I love the way that the offhand remarks that the adults make in response to the children's questions about witches, the devil, etc. form a part of the girls' psychological landscape, influencing their future actions. It is just such a chance conversation with her father that moves Flavia to take her final decisive action when she is threatened with separation from her beloved pet. A very atmospheric piece, with a lot of the action happening in broad daylight in very beautiful settings. My husband wandered into the room several times while I was watching it without ever suspecting that I was watching a "horror" film.
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d-snake17 October 2019Poison for the Fairies, or Veneno para las Hadas, is well-deserving of the praise I've seen heaped onto it. Using a story of two children from very different situations to explore themes ranging from inequality to control to blackmail to revenge is a wonderful idea, and Taboada did a wonderful job executing the film.
Veneno paras las Hadas is a very slow burn. In fact, up until the last ten minutes, you might find yourself questioning whether this film really fits into the horror genre or if it's a misclassified drama. By the end of the film, you won't have any more questions in that regard.
The title and the beginnings of the film frame this as a supernatural horror, perhaps one about children getting in too deep in over their heads with forces they don't fully understand. That last bit isn't particularly out, but by the end of the film, it's clear the supernatural aspects of this film aren't all that supernatural. In fact, that probably makes things a little more frightening.
The movie isn't a horror film that's going to give you scares along the way. There are no jump scares. I don't recall any scary music. The horror all comes from the realities of this movie, most of which are realized in the final minutes.
Everything we realize in the final minutes is shown throughout the rest of the movie, but it wasn't hitting me over the head with how frightening it all was because of how mundane it feels. Orphans being made fun of and finding weird niches is common. That leading to the child being made fun of is way too common. That leading to the child acting out is even more common. Then the child gets put in a situation with a small amount of power, and that position of power happens to be over another child who fits the same profile as many making fun of her. That position of power turns into an uglier and uglier controlling force until both children are too wrapped up in the relationship to end it easily. So they end it in the worst possible fashion, which comes after the controlling child pushes her subservient 'friend' a bit too far.
The terrifying part of this film is just how relatable both children are. Neither is evil. Both are misunderstood. Most people will probably be able to relate with both children at one point or another. This is the terrifying part, as the ending climax, which I won't fully spoil, comes about so organically that it's almost met with relief or a sense of victory--until you remember that both parties in this film are children. -
jfgibson7327 July 2021I'm not sure how I would categorize this film, and I also don't know who I would recommend it for. It's slightly twisted, but only so. Much of the movie feels more like a drama centering on the friendship of two little girls. Eventually, they pull the rug out from that, but these kids aren't as messed as, say, the girls in "Do Not Deliver Us From Evil." Closer to a Mexican 1960's "Ghost World." So it's largely tame, but then throws in some elements that would really bother some people. I thought it was well worth a watch, but not for everyone.
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gorehounded15 December 2011Mere words cannot describe this film. Each frame begs to be mounted as art. The cinematography of this gem should bring most Film fans to their knees. If someone described this film to me I probably wouldn't have expected much, but I would have been sorely mistaken. My undivided attention was earned from the very first screen and a free pass to every porn site on the net couldn't have dragged me away. Every once in a while we come across a film that affects us at a deeper level then we ever would had expected, and this epic will stay with me for the rest of my days on this earth.
Pure artistic brilliance that deserves a spot on every "best of" list in existence. -
Yelisey17 September 2012Quite a decent effort it is, but it rarely fully delivers. The leading girls are quite nice, but I cannot say that there is a lot of chemistry between them. There are a lot of moments when Flavia succumbs to Veronica's manipulation against her own will. They are really not well acted, and this is surely the director's mistake. Also, the idea not to show the adult's faces was OKish, but it was also realized not in a great way. As for the ending, I find it quite disappointing. I just can't believe that such harmless girl as Flavia will burn her friend and then will be happily staring at the fire burning. Even after all of the Veronica's deeds, that was a bit TOO MUCH.
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CC_qqqwerty12 May 2021I'm so glad to watch this!
Twisted fairytale. A deeply psychological horror on how an innocent child may transform into a potential sociopath. If adults aren't careful enough, those childish games may even lead to an inevitable tragedy. -
thalassafischer14 May 2023In the 1940s or 1950s two tween girls form a friendship at an all girls school. They're both very privileged Mexican girls who live in huge mansions, but one is an orphan who lives with her disfigured abuelita and the other is the beloved only child of a married couple, including a wealthy doting father figure.
The girl without parents is naturally emotionally disturbed, mostly because her primary caretaker is a nanny not even her grandmother. She doesn't have a lot of toys or modern conveniences like the other girl does, and in fact the second girl has an expensive doll and a dog, both of which the first girl strongly covets.
So eventually the orphan girl - who is very bright and imaginative - starts bullying her friend. Since her nanny is very religious and superstitious, she knows all about witches, mummies and fairies. She convinces her friend she is a witch, and hilarity ensues.
It's all very innocent and understandable at first, but finally while away together on a vacation to a ranch that the friend's parents own, the first girl gets more and more aggressive with threats and manipulation. When she bullies her friend into giving her the dog, the friend finally snaps and...murders the first girl. She sets a barn on fire, takes away the ladder, and latches the door. Like real shocking first degree murder, and smiles as the girl cries for help and eventually burns alive.
Most of the movie is just beautiful and atmospheric, more of a dramedy than a horror film, but the end there is quite disturbing and over the top. I almost gave the film a 7 but I took away a star because I thought the director was trying too hard to make some stupid point about religion. The orphan who bullies her friend is from a religious superstitious family, while the victim's family isn't religious at all. I feel like the director was trying to lay this all at the feet of religion...but like, the girl from the modern and science-minded household was the one who committed first degree murder, smalls.
I dunno. I'm not vibing with "the message" though the film overall a lovely atmospheric experience for the most part. -
This Mexican horror/fantasy is a tale told from a child's perspective, so much so that all of the adult characters in the story are only ever partially shown – an arm, a leg, a hand, etc. It's quite a good stylistic choice and creates very much a child's world. It focuses on two young girls who meet at a Catholic school, one of whom claims to be a witch. Events transpire to back this up somewhat and so both of them then go on an extended search for ingredients to make a poison that will kill fairies, who are traditional enemies of witches.
This is quite far from being a straight horror film. Its focus on folklore aligns it more with the fantasy genre, while its coming-of-age central storyline is not always interested in the macabre. It is certainly an interesting work from a stylistic perspective, yet not much really happens in its runtime and it does consequently drag somewhat at times. Its punctuated by some dreamlike imagery of witches and the like and these add some atmosphere. But the feeling I had mainly was this was a film that never really maximised its potential. It has excellent ingredients, just not mixed in quite the right way. -
rogelioduron15 January 2002This movie is Mexican and its one of the few that im very proud to have made in my country out in this genere. The director for this movie worked also on another Mexican alltime classic called "HASTA EL VIENTO TIENE MIEDO", Im very proud to own both movies and recommend them plenty to you all out there who loved movies like "The Others" and "Ring". its a story about a little girl who starts playing with another little girl that is kind of evil and likes to torture everyone around her and boos everybody around. So this little girl starts to tell the other one that she knows witches are alive and that they should make some poison for the witches, both little girls act in a very adult manner and they deliver a great performance. A mexican classic and a must see.
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For me this movie manifests a very wide range of emotions, including but not limited to fond childhood memories, innocence, happiness, joy, sadness, broken heartedness to anger. Leaving me with unresolved questions of WHY?
The cinematography, music scores, sets, scenery, scene editing transitions and costumes were absolutely beautiful! Stunning. I enjoyed how the director, Carlos cleverly used the adults, filming stealth fully from behind, just a hand, a foot and so on to further emphasis the two adorable child actresses Victoria, played by Ana Patricia Rojo and Flavia, played by Elsa María Gutiérrez.
The ending is so sad that it makes a father's heart rush to save, comfort and counsel the two little girls. Especially Victoria for the terrible fate she suffered. :( Oh my, the tears may fill in your eyes as did mine.
The good news is the actual actresses are alive and well today! "Relief!" This movie made me look up and research them both. Including the director Carlos and all the cast involved.
This movie is really worth a watch! Been looking for the DVD and finally found them on Ebay! This movie should have won 10 academy awards! I am sure you will love it too! :) ❤❤❤❤❤ -
claudio_carvalho6 April 2023In the Dublin private school in Mexico, the wicked girl Verónica (Ana Patricia Rojo) is mocked by her classmates since she is a liar. She lives with her grandmother, since her parents died in a car crash, and her nanny raises her, telling fairytales to Verónica every day. When the wealthy and naive Flavia (Elsa María) joins the school, she befriends Verónica, who succeeds to convince her that she is a witch, forcing Flavia to help her and give gifts to her. When Flavia travels on vacation with her parents to the family farm, Verónica forces Flavia to invite her to travel with her. The envious Verónica forces Flavia to play witchcraft with her but something tragic happens.
"Veneno para las hadas", a.k.a. "Poison for the Fairies", is a psychological horror Mexican movie with a simple storyline. The result is a frightening movie, exploring Flavia's innocence. Carlos Enrique Taboada does not show any adult's face and the camera work is used on the level of Flavia and Verónica's eyes; therefore, the viewer watches the film as if they were children too in a great technique. The conclusion is also very dark. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Veneno para as Fadas" ("Poison for the Fairies") -
I_Ailurophile30 October 2023Oh, how wonderfully clever this is! Filmmaker Carlos Enrique Taboada crafted a delightful film, so specifically leaning on the special qualities of childhood, and centering young Flavia and Veronica, that adults are infrequently seen, and their faces are deliberately kept out of frame except in very select instances. The story trades almost exclusively in childhood innocence and gullibility, the power of imagination and suggestion, the bonds of youthful friendships, jealousy, social drama, and peer pressure; that notions of black magic and witchcraft are part of the narrative is secondary. There's a significant fairy tale-like quality to 'Veneno para las hadas' ('Poison for the fairies') that superficially softens the themes of horror - but which, at length, helps them to resonate all the more at the peak psychological moment. It's easy to think that Guillermo del Toro must have been inspired by this early in his career, for the same airs of dark whimsy underlie this 1986 feature as those we anticipate from Taboada's countryman. It may not be viscerally thrilling in the manner we customarily assume of genre fare, but the storytelling is rich and enchanting, and the lighter colors on the surface belie the devious core that sates our cravings as innocent play turns insidious. When all is said and done, viewers and genre fans are absolutely rewarded, in the most dastardly of ways, and the impact it bears is almost certainly longer lasting.
From grand homes to stately schools, and from vast landscapes to old estates, the filming locations are impressive and lovely in providing the settings for the story of two young girls, one of whom is very insistent on presenting as a witch to her impressionable new classmate. Carlos Jiménez Mabarak's original music, sprightly and mirthful, quite cements the fairy tale vibes as the plot gently but definitively climbs toward increasingly somber, terrible suggestion - and a climax that will carry dire consequences, and spell the end of innocence. All the while Taboada builds scenes, as writer and director, that focus so much on Flavia and Veronica one can nearly forget they aren't the only characters present. His shot composition is terrific to that end, giving us no few moments that would look right at home as illustrations in a children's book. Coming off for very nearly all of its ninety minutes as being incredibly far removed from horror, the seemingly sweet facade is devilishly deceptive as the saga culminates in an astonishingly morbid, breathtaking finale. All the while, Ana Patricia Rojo and Elsa María Gutiérrez give fantastic performances far exceeding their station as child actors. No matter what is required of them in a moment their acting is perfectly natural, and both are integral to selling 'Veneno para las hadas' and all that it ingeniously represents.
At all times the picture is fabulously understated, not to mention underhanded; the plot is so grounded in reality that the only "effects" to speak of are matters of fire and shadow. Lupe García's crisp cinematography lets every detail pop out vividly, yet for the most part those details are only in the sets and filming locations, and in the nuances of the Rojo and Gutiérrez's performances. 'Veneno para las hadas' treads so delicately that it doesn't look like much from the outset, and one might very reasonably question what they have sat for in light of the overall cheerful energy of the proceedings. Those who are receptive to the most quiet, restrained, and/or wily shades of genre fare, however - draw comparison to folk horror, if you like - will find much to love here as our patience and commitment bear delicious fruit in the last stretch. I didn't know what I was getting into either, and I had no foreknowledge of the title; it was only by chance that I stumbled onto it in the first place. I am so, so very glad that I did, though, because this is a deeply underappreciated hidden treasure that deserve much, much more recognition. It won't appeal to all, but if you're open to all the wide possibilities that cinema has to offer then I can't recommend it highly enough. 'Veneno para las hadas' is phenomenal! -
insomniac_rod8 July 2004To be honest, this movie scared the hell out of me when I was a young boy; kids are really easy to impress. The truth is that "Veneno Para Las Hadas" is not scary at all but it focuses more on psychological horror and that's where it succeeds. The atmosphere is creepy enough to tense the viewer and therefore it's easy to follow the events which lead to a memorable ending. But keep in mind fellow IMDb user because this isn't a straight Horror movie; it suits better in the psychological horror section. Don't expect shocking visuals but in exchange, expect memorable dialogs and creepy mental situations.
The premise of the movie is simple. It deals with two young girls from a catholic school who are interested in witchcraft although they don't know the basics about it. The "evil girl" character is a deep study from a child that has no attention from her family or friends; it's a tormented youth that tries to find equilibrium in something like witchcraft.
Ana Patricia Rojo delivers an excellent performance, no wonder why she's a great actress nowadays.
This is by no means a scary movie, in fact, there are a few intentional scary scenes. For example, the grandmother appearance in the dark is a chilling moment although the scene wasn't meant to be intentionally scary.
Good acting, good direction, creepy - dark atmosphere, and a convincing score. For being a middle 80's Mexican "horror" movie, it's worth the watch.
SPOILERS!! The ending is a little shocking. I would like to know by word of the writer if the good girl told the cops about her witch friend, or what were her reasons for killing her.
Worth checking out but keep in mind that it isn't a straight Horror movie. If you like psychological horror, you will mostly enjoy it. It's a creepy tale.
7/10. -
As I sit and think about Poison for the Fairies, I realize that I may not being fair with the film. My rating of 3/10 may have more to do with my disappointment with the film than its actual quality or entertainment value. Based on the plot description, reviews on IMDb, and the 7.6 IMDb rating, I would sure that I had stumbled on a little known gem. Sadly, it just didn't do much for me. For whatever reason, Poison for the Fairies all but put me to sleep.
Poison for the Fairies is the story of two young girls in 1965 Mexico City. One of the girls, Veronica, is a compulsive liar and tells her friend that she, Veronica, is a witch. The other girl, Flavia, is so gullible that she believes and is frightened by everything her friend tells her. That's really about it. In reality, nothing much happens and the film drags on and on as Veronica attempts to terrorize and dominate Flavia. One commenter on IMDb described it as "the scariest film in 80's Mexican cinema". My comment - if that's the case, there must not have been many horror films made in Mexico in the 80s. Another commenter wrote, "Watch it if you wanna get scared." My comment - are you sure we're talking about the same movie? My opinion is diametrically opposed to these examples I've given. To me, it was dull, uninspired, and poorly acted. The scene framing is especially annoying as director Carlos Enrique Taboada doesn't ever show the faces of any of the other characters. Veronica and Flavia carry-on long, drawn-out conversations with members of their families and their teacher, but we never actually see these peoples' faces. It's an annoying gimmick. -
insomniac-rod27 March 2002I'm a fan of horror flicks, and I must say that "Veneno para las hadas" is the scariest film in 80's Mexican cinema. Horror films were very popular at that time, films such as "Friday the 13th", "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Halloween" -and their sequels- followed the same plot, you know a boogyman killing everyone around, except a virgin heroine. "Veneno para las hadas" has a flawless direction, some false scares, and very good acting; this movie is for those who believe in witchcraft, devil, and in good horror. That's it, go and rent it!!!
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Der_Schnibbler21 October 2006Two little girls strike a friendship. One tries to convince the other she's a witch. The other is a pushover who bends to the would be witch's will. On and on the movie drags with the pointless interaction between the two little girls, with many a dramatic cut away as they pose "shocking" questions. You know, the kind sweet little children shouldn't ask, such as, "How do you make a deal with the devil"? Oooh... creepy.
In the end, the pushover is sick of being controlled by her witchy friend. Her belief that her friend is a witch leads to a tragic end. But by the time it comes, you won't care in the least.
I can imagine this film may have been frightening to a very religious 1960s Mexican moviegoer, but it doesn't even hold up as a charming relic. It merely drags on. It is boring. It is pointless. It is not to be watched.
There are many here who have a lot of good things to say about it, based on their knowledge of the director's other works and, of course, that common denominator everyone says about pointless films: "Ah, the cinematography is wonderful!" Those reviewers probably have a point. But for the ones who found this movie with no prior knowledge, who don't care about its "photography," its "atmosphere" or its...whatever else it has -- for these viewers, then, who just want a *good* movie that will entertain them for an hour and a half, do yourselves a favour, folks:
Skip it. -
EdgarST27 April 2016Well, gone my "abuse" is, but it does not change my impression that Carlos Enrique Taboada's "horror" films are insufferable: this one, "Hasta el viento tiene miedo" and "El libro de piedra" are metaphors of the (very boring and bored) petty bourgeoisie's fears, that Taboada expressed following the rules of the horror genre and that, in the end, are more foolish than horrific. This time, a very rich girl and her not quite rich friend play at being witches in an endless succession of silly scenes of events that are supposed to be scary. If there is a more simple way to read this tale, one may assume that not-too-rich Veronica envies richer Flavia, who has a big room for herself, a dog called Hippie, a gold pen, a ranch by a lake, and a big doll that she carries around like a 4-5 year old girl. Veronica is so mean and bitchy that she enjoys frightening Flavia to gain control over her. But that is all. Since most of the time they are bored to death, these two little girls have nothing else to do but "Satanic rites" to kill people, or get the ingredients to make a poison for the fairies. So beware, don't be a fairy and avoid this poisonous film.