Diabla (Short)
**Seen at the 2020 Women in Horror Film Festival. Also played at 2020 Fantasia Fest.**
Ashley George’s “Diabla” is a film that uses real-life horror to get to supernatural horror. It is a strong idea with strong execution. The idea comes from a story by Maya Korn, which George and co-writer Alonso Diaz-Rickards execute simply and effectively. It’s an experiential film, and the emotions we feel from that experience are real.
I think the moment that actually hit me worse than the actual assault Nayeli (Ruth Ramos) experiences is, when she tries to tell Uri (Daniel Fuentes Lobo) about it, he is immediately dismissive of it. All of this rings powerfully true in the #MeToo era, and watching it dramatized so effective, and honestly, here makes it painful to watch Nayeli try to navigate her emotions after it. Thankfully, she has some women around her who believe her, and can help you feel.
It’s a little too easy to just try and describe everything that happens in a short film, but part of why this one works are choices that are unexpected, but fit perfectly within the context of theme and narrative that the filmmakers have put together. It’s where a lot of this film’s strengths come to the forefront, and leaves us feeling satisfied with how things worked out in the film, and hopeful that Nayeli will find some peace, and be able to help other women moving forward. We get the feeling she understands her strength better, at least.
