‘Rita’ Review – Fairy Tale Tropes Shine A Spotlight On Real-Life Horrors And Injustice

There is an inherent nature to fairy tales being dark and grim. Omnipotent results of happily ever after seem to exist only in a Disney film. Real life, as we know it, is far less surreal. There is seldom a knight in shining armor. No, the witch does not fall into the oven. Three clicks of the heels do not take us home. As is often the case, real life is about survival and endurance. These two themes, survival and endurance, are at the core of the film Rita. It draws from a true story; this film blends fantasy with reality to tell a story of bravery.

We begin with the transfer of a thirteen-year-old girl, Rita (Giuliana Santa Cruz), to an oppressive state-run orphanage. However, the facility has a mystical element, and Rita soon discovers the inhabitants are super-powered and fantastical beings right out of a fairy tale. Rita is seen as a messiah to the orphanage’s children; a guarding angel sent to lead them to freedom; the captives soon plot a rebellion against their captors. The film becomes a survival story as the Rita becomes the instrument for the mass escape.

Rita conceives itself as a fairy tale. Children are all gifted with special powers and abilities. It’s like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children but much more sinister. The use of a fairy tale allegory allows for exploring darker themes. The movie’s prerogative is to shine a light on a violent and oppressive system happening in Guatemala. The fairy tale elements will enable the audience to enter this world and engage in the story of survival while also reckoning with the harsh realities of cruelty and injustice.

The visual storytelling is some of the year’s best and darkest. The gothic nature of the orphanage looks like a castle from any number of classic fairy tales. It manages to reimagine the rulers of the facilities as monstrous demons and witches. As this story draws on real-life experience, using a fairy tale element creates an almost dream-like quality to the film. We move from the corridor to the courtyard amid darkness and depravity.

We watch in horror as innocence is brutalized by a corrupt and vindictive system that does not care or hold an ounce of conscience. The film is engaging as a straightforward tale, borrowing the classic fairy tropes, but also enraging. Now, it is not enraging in a critical sense, but enraging because the film spotlights real happenings and the failure of the so-called system. 

The movie is as much about injustice and the need to protect society’s innocent children as it is an allegory of good versus evil. Director/writer Jayro Bustamante is working hard to craft a provocative film. The audience will have difficulty digesting some of the scenes, as the point is made to leave little to the imagination. Yet that is the brilliance of the film. It stirs passionate and indignant anger at the system.

Some may object to glossing real-life horrors through tropes of good versus evil, but ultimately, this film would not be as effective. The film is not for the squeamish. Even with the fairy tale trappings, this dark story fails to deliver a happily ever after; instead, it is a frank look at cruelty and raw injustice. 

Giuliana Santa Cruz anchors the film with a brilliant performance. She is the central character while also being the audience’s eyes to the upside-down world of this orphanage. We learn of her backstory, which makes her struggle for survival more heartbreaking and compelling. She is the victim of an abusive father who runs away. However, her escape fails, and she falls under the care of the state.

The film spotlights a failing system that neglects the well-being of children. Rita attempts to resolve its horror in the confines of a movie, but beyond the credits, it is clear that this abuse and horror endure and exist. The film may serve justice for the evil ghouls, but the real-life oppressors go on unpunished and unaccounted — making this film a clarion call for justice and reform.

Ultimately, this film would be ineffective without the fairy tale trappings. Crafting a story where the children are special-power beings makes the real-life subject matter more potent. Audiences cannot help but engage with the story, even when it becomes fantastical. The success comes from the heart-wrenching performances and the desperate cries for freedom.

While the film tackles complex material at its core, the execution is effective due to its imaginative scope. The film soars above a traditional exposé, giving audiences a look at real-life horrors while instilling a harrowing story of survival. This story is worth telling, as it demands accountability and justice in the name of innocent children. 

Rita is currently available to stream on Shudder.