In 2022, a crime action thriller with elements of mysticism became available for viewing. Venus is a film produced in Spain. Directed by Jaume Balaguero. In the first role – Esther Exposito, known for the projects “Someone Must Die”, “Elite”, “When Angels Sleep”.
What is the movie “Venus” about?
Nowadays. Spanish city of Toledo. Half-naked dancer Lucia, the central person of this plot, performs in the fashionable nightclub “hot”. We are talking about a pretty woman of 25-27 years old, who broke up with her family and did not develop any skills other than dancing …
That night, she decided to leave early, taking something that does not belong to her – a bag designed to move inside mafia circles (of which the owners of the club are part of it). The “feat” was inspired by a certain Salinas – a person who is directly related to these criminal movements. He deceived the main character, convincing him that there was a lot of money there. They both planned to escape the city by splitting the amount. She didn’t change. I left the club faster.
However, for the guard Maro, this suspicious haste of Lucia causes at first weak, and then serious fears. When, at the request to open the bag, he receives a jet from a gas canister, he tries to detain the fugitive. A fight ensues, as a result of which the beauty’s entire face is decorated with hematomas, and on her leg there is a deep cut from a knife. The thug is “knocked out” by a bottle that spectacularly smashed against his head. A bloodied Lucia walks away without attracting attention.
In this state, the only place in which she can hide should be as close as possible (an urgent need to stop the bleeding from her leg and make bandages on the wound). To her delight, this is the multi-storey residential apartment “Venus”, where her sister Rocio lives with her daughter Alba.
The first is very surprised by Lucia – she did not give her her address. It turns out that he was prompted by their dying mother, whom the central person of this story managed to visit. Rocío doesn’t like this house. And this house doesn’t like Rocío. As a result, the mother of young Alba disappears without a trace by the next morning. It turns out that the baby remains in the care of one aunt alone. The weird thing is, she’s not really upset. She has a more attractive (than her mother) patroness. Living allegedly above their apartment (in a boarded-up attic) and somehow connected with the planet approaching the Sun. Alba boasts to her aunt of gifts from the Servant (that was the name of the mysterious woman): a giant cockroach in alcohol, a set of human teeth, precious women’s jewelry! The attendant brings things into the girl’s world through her dreams. By the way, diabolical dreams now visit the main character every night. Moreover, in the hope of contacting her sister (there is no telephone in the apartment), she pays a visit to a few housemates – several old women and the same age as her niece (that DR).
Meanwhile, the mafiosi responsible for the goods in the same bag (a potent banned substance in pills) receive a scolding from the boss. The man’s name is Russo. Not trusting the boobies-subordinates, he hires a killer who is able to get a lot of information about him (in fact, he is associated with a strong witch). At the same time, Lucia’s charming colleagues are subjected to a grueling interrogation. And her accomplice (Salinas) is also worried about how to find a fugitive with a bag (the phone connection between them was interrupted). And now the mercenary receives a tip “by blood.” He calls the customer along with him. In “Venus”. He throws there both the club’s guards who have been at fault, and serious people.
All this is happening against the backdrop of an approaching solar eclipse of one of the planets in our system. This has been mentioned twice in the news. And 4 times during the course of events a round black silhouette is shown, first approaching, and at the end going between the Earth and the Luminary.
Lucia’s wound oozes blood. The sister never showed up. The next night she had an even more terrible dream, filled with the blood of the baby and her mother. And the next morning, Alba herself disappeared.
While the heroine is trying to get to her, trying to break through to the suspicious old women in the damned building (from where all the “superfluous” disappeared for years), mafiosi armed to the teeth appear. 2 events are happening at the same time. Old women (turned out to be witches) prepare Alba as a sacrifice. To whom? Lamaashtu is the goddess of pain and despair. Her harbingers are the very Eclipse, snakes and huge (tropical) cockroaches. In parallel, Lucia is waging an unequal battle with those whose property is hidden on the mezzanine in the apartment of the disappeared sister.
Her lover-accomplice (Salinas) bursts in first, without hesitation, grabbing her by the throat, shouting “Where is the bag?”. By this, he demonstrates that Lucia’s hidden luggage is dearer to him than the “half” itself. Then others appear in the gloomy corridors. Somehow the heroine kills everyone who managed to get into combat contact with her. And this despite the fact that everyone lets her blood! She generally presses a large cleaver down the throat of Verzile Maro. Why did she do it? Answer below.
The meaning of the movie “Venus”
The key to explaining everything that is happening are 3 clues. They are, as it were, beacons of the eternal dualism of everything that exists (the struggle between Good and Evil). Firstly, blackness (which should forever absorb the Luminary) passes by (it turns out to be an ordinary temporary eclipse – “clouding”). Secondly, the reason for the preservation of the Day is the Light Bearer (and this is how the name Lucia is translated from all Romance languages - in other versions, Lucia, Lucia, Lucia). Thirdly, before the start of the final fight (immediately with bandits and Servant witches), the Light Bearer already knows what is happening. I saw a picture in the attic (technical floor of the building). The canvas depicts a naked woman on a throne with a crown. And her face!
Well, she learns about the function of the skyscraper (as a temple to Something Incomprehensible) from the notebook of past inhabitants found on the mezzanine. There are clippings from newspaper articles, which indicate the discovery of mutilated bodies. These witches-neighbors tried for years …
It seems that the drugs were at hand … for good reason! A young woman uses strong amphetamines to extinguish the pain, first coming from her leg, and then from other holes in her body, received as a result of the “mortal kombat” described above.
That is, everything that the viewer sees (the skyscraper-Temple, the crazy old women-Servants, the excessively scary and obsessive girlfriend of the girl Alba (The Enchanter), as well as the dreams-Portal and a lot of blood) are in fact the scenery for a new meeting of the universal Good ( Lucia) with Evil (Lamaashtu). And for the umpteenth time, the first wins. We see this at the end. More about her.
Ending explained “Venus”
In fact, the denouement is what was depicted on that canvas covered with dust and cobwebs – during the Eclipse, creatures and ordinary people bow their heads to the Bringer of Light. She pierces the servants of Lamaashtu, led by the gray-haired treacherous Magra (one of whom puts a crown on her head). And she forgives the mafia boss (after all, the fat Russo is an ordinary representative of Humanity, which she must protect). The street becomes a hundred times brighter. Joyful music plays. Bloody Lucia, not ashamed of her crown, walks with Alba in her arms, proving that she remembered her Path (to be a Mother and bring the Light, and not to do dirty dancing in the club, being deceived by Lamaashtu’s henchmen).
Recognition by viewers and the professional community
A pilot version of the movie was shown at the Sitges Festival (October 2021). And in November 2022, it was presented in San Sebastian (at the European fantasy and horror competition). Judging by the reviews of the jury, the film can hardly be called a failure. And Miguel Angel Romeo (of Cinemania magazine) considered Venus the director’s triumphant return to the origins of the horror genre. You can’t say otherwise, because Balaguero is inspired by the read novel by Lovecraft (“Dreams in the Witch’s House”). In terms of viewership, the approval rating was 77 percent…
