Resurrection, Lurid and Hopeless in Argentina

Remember Father Karras' predicament in "The Exorcist"?  He had a battle to fight while losing his faith.  Well...let us examine another priest in a similar downfall.  Father Aparicio (Martin Slipak) is headed into the belly of the beast.  Is he being sent by God or his own delusion?  From Argentina, 2015's "Resurrection" is our latest 'ruin your day' horror film.

1871, Buenos Aires is almost dead.  A Yellow Fever outbreak is killing just about everyone.  Priests are rushing into the city as infected attempt to leave.  These brave, or faithful souls, believe it is their God given duty to bless the dying and the dead.  Hence Fr. Aparicio heads that way, as he believes God has instructed him to.  On the way, he makes a slight detour to his family's estate....he should have kept going.  He finds his brother, Edgardo (Adrian Navarro) almost dead from the plague and begging for a healer.  Edgardo wants no part of Aparicio's blessings.  Edgardo dies, leaving a wife and daughter.  These two have locked themselves in the family chapel convinced evil has also arrived at the estate.

Uh oh....Aparicio's sister-in-law (Ana Fontan) and niece (Lola Ahumada) die...or do they? Even after his niece dies, she comes to him...or is it a dream. Aparicio then contracts the fever and is spiraling down into delusion and fever.  The fever ridden priest continues to hear his niece call him and beg to be found.  Almost dead, Aparicion tosses away his faith and orders the family servant, Quispe (Patricio Contreras) to fetch a pagan healer (Vando Villamil).  Our healer has a price, which is quite ominous. As the delusional cleric opens graves and searches hidden passageways for his niece, he falls farther from his faith and embraces the evil which has overtaken the estate.

Is Aparicio's niece alive?  What peril will the healer bring to the estate?  Can Aparicio reclaim his faith and at least save his own eternal soul?  Directed by Gonzalo Calzada, "Resurection" is creepy and ominous.  The depiction of the plague infected is stomach churning.  Whether a statement about the dangers of losing faith, or a metaphor of the false hope of plague victims, this is a scary film teetering on a Poe-like ghost story and heavy social commentary about religion and civilization. Directed by Gonzalo Calzada, enjoy "Resurrection" on Netflix.