"Everyone Will Burn" - Fantastic Fest 2022 Film Review
Everyone Will Burn opens with an anecdote from the small, Spanish pueblo of Roxas del Monte. In 1980, the residents were afraid of an old legend, so they decided to sacrifice a baby to ensure that the Apocalypse would not arrive. The mother of the child was locked away in a convent until she passed away and the Order of Rozas is exiled. The people of the town believed that they had done away with the looming threat and vowed never to speak about what they had done to save the town. All that changes forty years later when Mariajo (Macarena Gómez) meets a strange woman, Lucia (), who has telekinetic powers.
Everyone Will Burn is, at times, a fun mix of an over-the-top telenovela and a gory horror flick. Because of the extremes of these two genres, Everyone Will Burn has a lot of room to play around in. Unfortunately, the filmmakers take great pleasure in enjoying the world they’ve created and don’t actually push the narrative forward. At almost two hours, the third act of Everyone Will Burn is too much of a good thing, lost within its own possibilities. The first two acts are an unexpectedly beautiful balance of an unlikely friendship, comedy, and a touching exploration of grief. However, it’s a balancing act that should not be stretched to such lengths.
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There are quick cuts of editing accompanied by bombastic musical stings that are reminiscent of horror films from a bygone era. These moments are delightful homages to the campiness of horror flicks from the ‘80s, where there was gore aplenty without much nuance. Thankfully, Everyone Will Burn relishes in the style of those early slashers while incorporating a political commentary along the lines of a Guillermo del Toro film. Like Pan’s Labyrinth, Everyone Will Burn is centered on an age-old fairytale that takes on a new, horrific meaning over the course of the film.
The colors in Everyone Will Burn are gorgeously saturated to create a world that feels close to our own, but ever so askew. The composition of the shots, especially the early scene of Lucia setting a cop on fire for the first time, shows off the sheer confidence David Hebrero has in making his vision a reality. There’s a magical realism at play within the film, and it’s highlighted by telenovela-level special effects, dynamic camera movements, and striking lighting design. Single-take scenes, stark spotlights, and vibrant color design add an otherworldly sense, and the film is all the more better for it.
Those willing to go along for the ride of Everyone Will Burn will be treated to a nice gem of a flick. Its length is what ultimately holds it back from relishing in the eccentric melodramatics it so clearly wants to celebrate. The runtime isn’t enough to feel like a total slog, but it is abundantly clear where cuts should have been made. Instead of leaning wholeheartedly into its horror ideals, Everyone Will Burn lingers too long on relationship drama that detracts from the aspects that give the film its special edge.
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