Thaïs Parvez
“Her love will devour your soul”. There is absolutely nothing creepier than a solid psychological horror movie that blends the everyday dread of a toxic relationship with full-on paranormal chaos inside a massive family mansion.
That is the exact premise of “La Ahorcada”, the new film by Miguel Ángel Lamata (“Los Futbolísimos”, 2018) starring Eduardo Noriega, Amaia Salamanca, and Norma Ruiz.
Here at Hot BuZz (Mag), we’ve dived headfirst into the universe of “La Ahorcada” (Filmax, Ellas Comunicación). To find out what’s truly lurking behind the walls of this haunted house, we sat down with leading actor Eduardo Noriega and director Miguel Ángel Lamata.
You can already watch both chats (or “f***ing awesome interviews,” as Lamata calls them) over on the Hot BuZz (Mag) YouTube channel, and trust us, they left us with headlines just as heavy-hitting as the movie itself.
A “brutal” shift in genre to explore the many faces of terror with “La Ahorcada”
After years of being a household name for comedy in Spain, Miguel Ángel Lamata is jumping straight into horror, a pivot he describes as “a brutal change.” For the director, what drew him to this story (based on the novel by Mayte Navales) was its sheer duality:
“The story has two sides to it. On one hand, it’s a haunted house horror movie packed with poltergeists, possessions, exorcisms, time jumps, dream sequences, kids with powers, telekinesis, telepathy, and parapsychology everywhere, stuff that I’ve absolutely loved since I was a little kid.
On the other hand, it tackles toxic love, codependency, guilt, and everything that unravels when unrequited love hits a relationship. I think that’s a universal theme that hits home for everyone.”
Eduardo Noriega, who has already teamed up with the director on screen (“Nuestros amantes”, 2016) and on stage (theater play), admits he would sign up for any future project with him without a second thought. That blind trust between the two is the engine that keeps this thriller running like clockwork.
Additionally, both actors confess it was an absolute treat to share the screen with such a talented ensemble cast, which includes Amaia Salamanca, Norma Ruiz, Cristina Gallego, Veki Velilla, and young rising stars Cosette Silguero and Anastasia Fauteck.
From classic horror movies like “The Exorcist” to gothic horror and destructive obsessions in “La Ahorcada”
What scares the people who scare us? Both the actor and director instantly agree on their ultimate childhood nightmare: “The Exorcist” (1973).
As an adult, though, Noriega confesses that Tomas Alfredson’s Swedish masterpiece “Let the Right One In” (2008) is the one film that managed to genuinely unnerve him again, while Lamata points to spooky blockbusters like “The Sixth Sense” (1999) or “Insidious” (2010).
That mix of classic and modern horror influences breathes through “La Ahorcada”, a film the director defines as a “rather gothic reinterpretation” and a “terrible, atrocious romantic fantasy.” Reflecting on the deeper meaning behind the story, Eduardo Noriega adds:
“There’s a tagline for the movie that says ‘her love will devour your soul’, but I honestly think it’s about misunderstood love turning into a destructive obsession.”
Classic rock stars, symbolism, and Oscar Wilde
Lamata has packed the film with easter eggs and symbolism. Following the trail of the original book, there is a direct link to Oscar Wilde’s short story “The Nightingale and the Rose”, a personal favorite of the characters played by Amaia Salamanca and Cosette Silguero.
Furthermore, the spirit of Rock & Roll shapes the very names of the main characters: Patty is an explicit homage to Patti Smith, and Janis is a nod to the eternal Janis Joplin, as the director reveals.
Because, as with any horror movie worth its salt, the music plays a starring role.
Eduardo Noriega: Piano and musical improvisation
One of the most magical moments in the movie takes place right at the piano keys. Eduardo, who plays Fran, a divorced dad and music producer, didn’t need a stunt double for these scenes:
“I studied piano and music theory as a kid, but I’ve picked it back up lately out of pure pleasure. I was especially excited about having a piano in the movie. It was written into the script that he works on a song his daughter came up with, four chords, and we harmonized it, but the actual performance at the piano was completely improvised.”
Though the original score was composed by Fernando Velázquez, that creative freedom allowed Noriega to bring a layer of raw truth to his character, whom he describes as someone with an essence worthy of Oscar Wilde: a figure moving between beauty and the torment of his own shadows.
The atmosphere of terror: A “haunted” house and a killer cast
That duality between gothic beauty and psychological torment doesn’t just rest on the shoulders of Eduardo Noriega and Miguel Ángel Lamata.
For a haunted house to come alive and feel genuinely disturbing, the chemistry and tension between the characters trapped inside must be palpable in every single frame.
Aside from explaining that the house where they shot gave them plenty of room to play around with scare tactics, along with sharing some rather “paranormal” onset anecdotes, both confess it was a privilege to work with such a brilliant cast.
The performance of the younger actresses, Cosette Silguero and Anastasia Fauteck, is actually one of the film’s biggest strengths, managing to convey that unsettling maturity that gothic horror always demands from its youngest stars.
With a few major plot twists and a script that knows exactly when to play with classic jump scares and when to drown the audience in psychological drama, “La Ahorcada” stands out as a highly entertaining ride.
Don’t miss the full interviews!
Watch the full interview in Spanish with Eduardo Noriega on YouTube below.
Watch the full interview in Spanish with Miguel Ángel Lamata on YouTube below.
“La Ahorcada” is out now in theaters. A must-watch for movie enthusiasts looking for a family-centered horror film that, beyond the occasional jump scare, hits you right in the gut and leaves you reflecting on toxic relationships.
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