Cemetery of Lost Souls is a 2020 Brazilian horror film about evil Jesuit priests who were trapped beneath graves but have now broken free.
Written and directed by Rodrigo Aragão (The Black Forest; Dark Sea; Night of the Chupacabras; Mud Zombies).
The movie stars Carol Aragão, Renato Chocair, Diego Garcias, Francisco Gaspar, Markus Konká, Allana Lopes, Thelma Lopes, Caio Macedo and Leonardo Magalhães.
Plot:
Corrupted by the power of Cipriano’s Black Book, a Jesuit priest and his followers begin a reign of horror in colonial Brazil until they become cursed to live forever trapped under the graves of a cemetery. Now, centuries later, they are ready to break free and spread their evil all over the world…
Review:
“Graced with plenty of strong gore, plenty of action and an engrossing if somewhat overly complicated storyline that ties everything together, there’s quite a lot to like here and not too many flaws to hold it back. Give it a look if you’re a fan of this kind of over-the-top splatter, enjoy local genre fare or a fan of the creative crew and their previous work…” Don’s World of Horror and Exploitation
” …the acting is subpar, the CGI—or whatever it is—is the worst I’ve seen in a modern feature, and the lighting and practical effects are high school grade at best. An ambitious kid with a ten-dollar bill could have done a better job. They “pulled off” their effects by just not showing them to you.” Horror DNA
“Diego Garcias and Allana Lopes are sporting enough as Jorge and Ayra, professionally enduring all kinds blood-splattering and skin-blistering effects. This film is nutty as heck. It is also conspicuously messy […] Nevertheless, the bloody lunacy is fun to behold. Recommended as a bit of grungy midnight madness…” J.B. Spins
“A gory tale of the eternally returning struggle between good and evil, The Cemetery of Lost Souls turns Brazilian history into its own heady, bloody myth, making surreally theatricalised horror fiction of horrors entirely real. The film is beautifully lit, its production design conjures a low-budget miracle of atmosphere across multiple periods…” Projected Figures
“The Cemetery of Lost Souls starts off deliciously campy […] From there though it chooses the labor the fact that their bad guys are truly bad. It forgets that there is a soul to this story, a soul that has a connection to the backstory. The film seems to love its villains more than its hero, but you need the hero to be the ballast in your recovery from witnessing all this evil.” Screen Anarchy
“Writer/director Rodrigo Aragão is a prolific horror director and he shows here that he has a keen knowledge of fear fare and knows how to ratchet up suspense, as well as deliver the goods in the kills and practical effects gore departments. The cast is top-notch and the film looks terrific thanks to Alexandre Barcelos’ fine cinematography.” When It Was Cool
“All of this is not put together using the best structure, and most of the movie is back-story, but it does become clear in the end. As with his last movie, Aragão doesn’t just make a splatterfest, but uses the splatter as needed, especially with the violent climax. A good old-school horror movie. It just needs a bit more balance and themes…” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre
Release:
Shown at the Cinefantasy Film Festival in Brazil on 6th September 2020.
Cast and characters:
Carol Aragão … Brigitte
Renato Chocair … Cipriano
Diego Garcias … Jorge
Francisco Gaspar … Fred
Markus Konká … Pajé Nauru
Allana Lopes … Aiyra
Thelma Lopes … Dona Tiffinha
Caio Macedo … Joaquim
Leonardo Magalhães … Jamanta
Clarissa Pinheiro … Imaculada
Roberto Rowntree … Homero
Technical details:
134 minutes
Original title:
O Cemitério das Almas Perdidas “The Cemetery of Lost Souls”
Trailer:
