The defence The Arthouse Gremlin
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
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Santa Sangre
Horror · Drama · Thriller · 1989
A former circus artist escapes from a mental hospital to rejoin his armless, cult leader mother, and is forced to enact brutal murders in her name.
Movie details
Santa Sangre
“Forget Everything You Have Ever Seen...”
1989 Horror · Drama · Thriller 2h 2m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.2 / 10
Community rating
A former circus artist escapes from a mental hospital to rejoin his armless, cult leader mother, and is forced to enact brutal murders in her name.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Santa Sangre?
For the defence
The Arthouse Gremlin
“The stranger, the better.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Haunt
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Mother's Day
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Crazed members of a sadistic family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new owners.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Written by
Claudio Argento · Alejandro Jodorowsky · Roberto Leoni
Axel Jodorowsky
Fenix
Blanca Guerra
Concha
Guy Stockwell
Orgo
Thelma Tixou
The Tattooed Woman
Sabrina Dennison
Alma
Adan Jodorowsky
Young Fenix
F
Faviola Elenka Tapia
Young Alma
Court is in session
Put Santa Sangre on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.