Bad Christmas

Seen at 2021 Fribourg International Film Festival, section "International Competition"

A quiet Christmas evening is interrupted by a thief (Diego Peretti) who invades privacy of residents of a luxurious villa in Buenos Aires. Instead of robbing them and leaving, he starts digging into their lives and starts to uncover many hidden and buried truths. The evening turns into a hostage situation in which residents and their little daughter, who mistakes the thief for Santa Claus, are pushed to their limits.

The film mixes well several genres of drama, dark comedy and satire, and touches many controversial topics of our modern society. The director created an atmosphere of claustrophobia, as the whole story takes place within few hours and in the same place. Actress Natalia Oreiro created a character that is cold, submissive and lifeless, however, the stranger in her house awakens her lost self.

The movie has absolutely fantastic soundtrack, music is composed by Pablo Borghi and the score intensifies each scene and creates moments full of tension, wonder or even surrealism. The tension is mixed with humor, often very dark one, which pushes viewers to edges of their seats.

"La Noche Mágica" represents the highest Argentinean cinematography with solid screenwriting, acting, direction and score.