The Red Virgin Review: A Thrilling and Mesmerising Watch

In this Prime Video Spanish period drama film, child prodigy, pundit on female sexuality and lodestar of the sexual revolution during the Second Spanish Republic, Hildegart Rodriguez finds herself becoming suffocated by her obsessive mother’s quest to create the perfect feminist who will lead the masses at the time. She rebels as she turns 18 but finds herself at her mother’s dangerous mercy as a result.

The film has a runtime of 114 minutes.

The Red Virgin Review

There’s a thrill in The Red Virgin that you won’t find in most period dramas – the torturous and unhealthy relationship between Hildegart and Aurora is a push and pull that will leave you awestruck. The film does a fantastic job with not only the performances but also the excellent direction by Paula Ortiz who brings out the raw emotions from the actors as well as the dreadful and suffocating surroundings.

It’s clear throughout the runtime of the film that there’s something wrong with Aurora. People who believe their children to be test subjects usually are. We also watch this movie a lot from her side, with Aurora providing snippets of her thoughts through emotionless monologues as we watch the insanity unfold on screen. The dance between mother and daughter in this movie, based on true events, is a delicious watch that will stay with you long after the end credits have rolled.

Part of this, of course, goes to real-life events, of course. The story itself is so heartbreaking and thoroughly disturbing that one can’t help but do a double-take. The film holds on to an excellent pacing that is just right, leaving you to relish in the thrill and drama as Hildegart and Aurora butt heads. The camera moves around constantly, but that never becomes a bother and viewers will be sucked into the story the more it moves forward. The tight angles and the shocking revelations combine together to deliver something memorable, ending in us being left with a ton of thoughts after all is said and done.

Another facet of the story is how ironic everything is – as Hildegart and Aurora discuss, dissect and debate the need for women to be free and make their own decisions away from the control of the men around them, it becomes apparent that Hildegart herself, so well known by the people around her, has not an ounce of control of her own life. She is a caged animal being used to parrot her mother’s thoughts and feelings. It’s heartbreaking watching her being slowly isolated and more so when you how her mother doesn’t see the irony in it all.

However, that part is cleared up a bit towards the end – Aurora doesn’t see her daughter as anything but an experiment, a conclusion that is as shocking as it is apparent. This revelation not only makes us question Hildegart’s life but it also makes us wonder whether Aurora ever loved her daughter in the ways that we all know how. The film discusses these topics in brief in a nauseating and suffocating conversation towards the end of the runtime, resulting in a thrilling conclusion that one might not have been prepared for.

As discussed previously, the performances in The Red Virgin are top-notch. Najwa Nimri and Alba Planas, playing Aurora and Hildegart, are absolutely fantastic. There is not a moment when you will find yourself not feeling scared of Aurora’s gaze and Nimri’s excellent performance is a testament to her screen presence. Planas, meanwhile, brings forth the vulnerability of her character’s growth and becoming a woman of her own worth and makes you root for her throughout.

Final Thoughts

The Red Virgin is simply fantastic – from the storyline to the performances, everything will give you an intensely thrilling watch and will keep you invested throughout.

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