Leeds International Film Festival – The Virgin Of The Quarry Lake ★★★★

Released: TBC (Leeds International Film Festival)

Director: Laura Casabe

Starring: Dolores Oliverio, Fernanda Echevarría

The Virgin of The Quarry Lake introduces an entirely new venture for teenage coming-of-age films. Adapted from two horror stories by Argentinian writer Mariana Enriquez, director Laura Casabe introduces tense supernatural elements in an eerie yet exciting manner.

Young teen Natalia (Dolores Oliverio) becomes transfixed with getting the attention of local boy Diego (Augustin Sosa), with the stakes quickly escalating beyond a simple ‘crush.’ When Diego begins to see an older, seemingly more mature, more (sexually and life) experienced woman, Silvia (Fernanda Echevarría,  underlying tension develops between Natalia, her two best friends, Silvia, and Diego. With a nonchalant exterior and an envy-inducing ‘cool girl’ personality, Silvia becomes an obstacle for Natalia to overcome, only increasing her frustration as she sees a relationship with Diego slipping further out of her possibility.

As Natalia’s jealousy grows, so does the darkness within her, ultimately unleashing something entirely unexpected- her acts of jealousy and rage go to a place beyond return. Her growing jealousy manifests itself in supernatural, violent ways. She experiences curse-like hallucinations, including a recurring vision of a dishevelled man, rot and blood, and menacing death-inducing packs of dogs. These occurrences only grow more frequent and intense as Natalia’s rage continues to spiral out of control, much to the horror of her family and friends. Viewers are left wondering exactly what is really going on. 

Natalia acts with an illusion of maturity, aiming to match Silvia through her style, standoffish behaviour, and emotionally and sexually driven decision-making in her relationships with her two close friends, family, and Diego. Despite her efforts, her teen-like immaturity shines throughout, in her focus on virginity, relationships, and the way that she is perceived by those around her. Her jealousy-ridden emotional outbursts highlight the gap between her false sense of maturity and realism. Natalia discovers power within her teen angst in The Virgin of The Quarry Lake, with her once-normal emotions amplifying to their maximum and becoming a force of their own; she is impulsive, naïve, and overreactive, yet rooted in femininity and sexual frustration.

Already close friends, the chemistry between Natalia and Diego is playful and familiar, with the film taking a close focus on their relationship, showing how this playful familiarity contrasts with the tension arising from Natalia’s insecurities and desires- making the grotesque ending even more shocking. Set during the 2000s Argentinian socio-economic crisis, where the civil troubles only intensify the horror-style motifs during Natalia’s story, The Virgin of The Quarry Lake introduces her life in intimate ways, highlighting the changes occurring around her, beyond just her interactions with Diego. Parentless and living with her grandmother, Rita (Luisa Merelas), Natalia’s relationships with authoritative figures, particularly men, are shaky- at first this is not a concern, as her selfishness is consistent with normal teen behaviour. 

Through her flaws, we understand that her feelings are shaped by the turbulent emotions and experiences of adolescence-  a universal experience that only makes us feel a closer connection and sympathy towards her, despite the dysfunctional and detrimental manifestations of her behaviour.

Laura Casabe’s The Virgin of The Quarry Lake depicts the inner turmoil and experience of adolescence in a unique, gore-driven way. Coming-of-age is shown as it truly feels in the moment- painful, overwhelming, and larger than life- resulting in a perfect balance between the horrors of teendom, and haunting, supernatural experiences.