Pedro Páramo Review: Confusing Mess Without the Promised Magic

Netflix’s adaptation of Pedro Páramo hits the platform today, bringing to life one of the most important Mexican and Latin American literary works. The plot revolves around a young man who visits a ghost town at his mother’s request on her deathbed, where he begins to understand the man his father was. With mystical themes and the ruthless quest of a man who wants power and wealth, this film brings an intriguing tale that is fascinating but sometimes confusing.

-No Spoilers-

Pedro Páramo Review

The movie begins with a young man, Juan Preciado, visiting the town his mother asked him to go to and meet his father. However, what his mother described as a beautiful, exciting town filled with life turns out to be a ghost town with no soul in sight. Soon, he falls into the mystical atmosphere of this abandoned town as he begins to discover the man his father was- a ruthless, power-hungry man, who got all the wealth but no love.

Based on one of the most important works of Mexican and Latin American literature, it is easy to say that this was a dream come true for many readers. With an intriguing theme of the thin line between the living and dead, the tyranny of a ruthless man over a town and its people, and the doom of this tyrant whose one love is left unfulfilled, this is a story that has a depth that holds endless potential.

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Unfortunately, the adaptation of this literature falls short of its fame and leaves viewers confused for most of the film. It’ll take you quite a while to understand what on earth is happening after Juan Preciado enters this ghost town. Adding to this confusion is the sudden shift between timelines where one scene shows Juan Preciado in a rundown house of a resident and the other scene is of a young Pedro.

The cinematography is simply confusing which shifts your attention from the film altogether. There is a disturbance that makes you lose focus and it takes a while for you to come back to the film. While some scenes are truly beautiful during certain moments, like when Juan Preciado is running around the town trying to escape. The images presented in those scenes are simply artistic as we truly experience the thin line between the living and the dead.

However, the same cannot be said for most of the film as it returns to its complicated self. The second half does get better as the focus falls on Pedro, but the shift in time remains here too as one moment there’s a young Pedro and the next moment it’s an older version of him. I guess this can be due to the story moving forward while focusing on the different quests of his life- one for money, one for power, and the other for love.

On the other hand, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is certainly not doing justice to Pedro’s character. When you read about Pedro or hear about him through the other characters, he is ruthless, commanding, and someone whose aura easily takes over everyone’s attention. However, the actor is unable to show this aura and is easily missed in the shifting timelines of the film.

This magical realism drama could have been a beautiful experience for viewers, but because of the abrupt shifts and ruined focus, it becomes a pain to watch. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo fails to bring out the aura of Pedro which only adds to the disappointment I am holding on to after watching this film.

Summing Up

Pedro Páramo could have been a beautiful cinematic experience but this film has only brought a bad adaptation of an important literary work. It will leave you confused and bored, while you struggle to identify the main character. If this is not enough, then the ending feels abrupt which only adds to the confusion.

Watch Pedro Páramo on Netflix.

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