By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Ione Hernández
Starring: Aritz Kortabarria | Carlota Keiko | Elena Anaya | Emma Suárez | León Martínez
Original language title: Hermanas
Year: 2026
Running time: 102
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38584018/
Michael says: “Spanish films SISTERS (HERMANAS), written and directed by Ione Hernández, was a competently-made film with a screenplay that lacked the needed emotional impact to make it really succeed. Two sisters, Chelo and Marta, bring their families together to celebrate the birthday of Marta’s son, who, along with Chelo’s three children, have fun frolicking in the pool, before heading out to a big bonfire and celebration where they get mightily drunk and come home quite late. The next morning, Chelo’s 13-year-old daughter comes to her and tells her she has been sexually abused. This kicks off a difficult story where the two sisters find themselves on differing sides of a charged conflict where the details are not all that clear.
“SISTERS shared a somewhat similar set-up to WHAT LIES BETWEEN US, but where the latter film ratcheted up the emotional stakes, SISTERS choice to pull back on the emotional drama left me feeling confused about whether it was really that big a deal to the family that the girl had potentially been abused. Otherwise, nicely shot and well-acted, the film certainly kept my attention. 3 cats
“Screened at Scotiabank Theater, Tuesday 9/15, director and stars in attendance”