Pedro Paramo Movie Review
Pedro Paramo Movie Review: Netflix’s Pedro Páramo, directed by Rodrigo Prieto and based on the legendary 1955 novel by Juan Rulfo, attempts to bring to life one of the most celebrated works of Mexican literature. The novel, a foundation for Latin American magical realism, explores themes of abandonment, death, and legacy through a dreamlike, ghostly narrative. While Prieto’s adaptation is visually stunning and stays true to some of the novel’s key themes, it struggles to convey the narrative’s haunting essence, ultimately delivering a film that is as beautiful as it is bewildering.
This adaptation faces a significant challenge: capturing Rulfo’s intricate and lyrical storytelling within the confines of a feature film. Though it succeeds in visual spectacle, Pedro Páramo falls short of the emotional and magical realism that defines its source material.
A Journey to Comala Lacking Magic and Mystique
The story follows Juan Preciado (played by Tenoch Huerta), who, on his mother’s dying wish, sets out to find his estranged father, Pedro Páramo (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), in the small town of Comala. Upon arrival, Preciado finds Comala eerily deserted and begins to encounter ghostly figures and memories of a painful past shaped by his father’s oppressive influence. The film attempts to capture the complexity of Rulfo’s story, presenting Comala as a place where past and present blur, haunted by the memories of Pedro’s tyrannical rule.
The film is largely faithful to the novel’s basic plot and themes, such as its critiques of power and legacy, but it lacks the fluid transitions between memory and reality that give Rulfo’s work its surreal charm. Rodrigo Prieto, known for his impressive work as a cinematographer on films like The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon, brings a striking visual aesthetic to Pedro Páramo. The setting of Comala is presented with an almost palpable atmosphere of decay, with desolate landscapes and color-bleached costumes that enhance the sense of abandonment. However, while the visuals capture Comala’s ghostly and forgotten state, the adaptation seems more grounded in realism than the mystical elements of Rulfo’s story.
The fleeting supernatural aspects — such as ghostly figures and echoes of the past — feel isolated, more like set pieces than an integrated part of the narrative. The film’s attempts at magical realism fall short, with certain eerie scenes, like the floating ghosts or the sorrowful, mud-covered figure, feeling disconnected rather than deeply woven into the plot.
Pedro Páramo Official Trailer, Netflix
Disjointed Storytelling Leaves Viewers Disconnected
While the novel’s nonlinear structure and shifting timelines create a seamless blend of past and present, the film’s interpretation of these narrative shifts feels more confusing than cohesive. Prieto and writer Mateo Gil lean into a fragmented storytelling style, but rather than inviting viewers into a layered exploration of memory and regret, it often leaves them struggling to piece together the plot. Characters and scenes appear and disappear in a disjointed manner, sometimes without clear purpose, making it difficult for audiences to invest emotionally in the story. Key scenes involving Pedro Páramo’s abuses of power or the impact of his tyrannical legacy on the townspeople are diluted, often lost within the film’s structure.
Despite this, the film does make attempts to convey the underlying themes of the novel. Pedro’s character is presented as a man who abuses his wealth and influence, leaving behind a trail of abandoned children and broken lives. However, these elements feel underdeveloped, as the screenplay seems more focused on creating a complex narrative structure than exploring the characters’ emotional depths. This disconnection is exacerbated by repetitive scenes and ambiguous dialogue that, rather than adding depth, make the story feel overlong and, at times, tedious. The movie’s two-hour runtime, weighed down by these narrative choices, struggles to maintain engagement, with many scenes lacking the emotional intensity needed to bring Rulfo’s themes to life.
Strong Cast With Limited Impact Due to Constrained Performances
The cast, led by Tenoch Huerta and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, delivers commendable performances, though their characters are somewhat limited by the script and direction. Huerta’s portrayal of Juan Preciado as a lost and confused seeker is convincing, but his character is more reactive than dynamic, with much of his performance confined to expressions of uncertainty. Garcia-Rulfo’s Pedro Páramo, the complex and morally questionable patriarch, feels one-dimensional, lacking the psychological depth that could have made his character both more menacing and more pitiable. The script provides few opportunities for him to explore the nuances of Pedro’s complicated relationship with power, wealth, and fatherhood.
Supporting actors like Ilse Salas and Héctor Kotsifakis offer compelling performances in their roles, bringing brief moments of emotional intensity to the film. Salas, in particular, captures the haunting sadness of one of Pedro’s discarded lovers, while Kotsifakis shows an impressive character arc in his role as Don Fulgor, one of Pedro’s henchmen. However, these strong performances are hampered by the film’s pacing and lack of character development, which limit their potential impact. Overall, the cast seems restrained by the film’s narrative structure, which prioritizes aesthetic choices over fully fleshed-out characters.
Final Verdict: Pedro Paramo Movie Review
Netflix’s Pedro Páramo is a visually captivating but narratively flawed adaptation of a literary classic that has inspired generations of readers and writers. Rodrigo Prieto’s direction, though strong in visual storytelling, lacks the magic and cohesion necessary to translate Juan Rulfo’s novel into a compelling cinematic experience. While certain scenes stand out for their striking beauty, the film’s heavy reliance on fragmented storytelling, disjointed pacing, and an underutilized cast prevent it from achieving the emotional resonance and depth found in the original work.
In the end, Pedro Páramo feels more like an academic exercise in adapting a complex story than a fully realized film. While it may appeal to viewers already familiar with Rulfo’s novel, casual audiences may find it inaccessible and confusing. Despite its moments of brilliance, Pedro Páramo ultimately fails to capture the poetic and ghostly essence of its source material, making it a disappointing, if beautifully crafted, cinematic adaptation.
Top 5 Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
Netflix’s Pedro Páramo, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Tenoch Huerta, is an adaptation that fails to capture what made the iconic novel so special. Brennan Klein, Screen Rant
It shows that aside from being a master cinematographer, Prieto is also a skilled storyteller whose work makes us eager to check out whatever comes next for him. Erick Massoto, Collider
[Even] though this is Prieto’s feature film directorial debut, he is clearly drawing from an ocean of experience and knowledge about the cinematic language. Yet, the Netflix film can be described as amateurish at best and outright boring at worst. Pramit Chatterjee, Digital Mafia Talkies
Strangely, given Prieto’s visual acumen, the film is also a bit bland visually… But the story has enough residual power to deliver a dark night of the Mexican soul nonetheless. Phil Hoad, Guardian
While Pedro Páramo is not the most entertaining and “effective” movie, it is provocative and daring. Diego Batlle, Otroscines.com
Top Movie Ratings
| Imdb | 6 / 10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 80 % |
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