History of the Occult

A notebook found at the scene of a ritualistic killing in Buenos Aires sets the journalists of the current affairs program "60 Minutes to Midnight" on the trail of a group of occultists who control Argentina from behind the scenes. The journalists plan on revealing this conspiracy during the show's final broadcast, and in the studio they have Adrian Marcato, a self-professed warlock who claims to be in cahoots with the country's political elite. Marcato is willing to admit everything on live TV in exchange for a mysterious object with magical powers, and as the clock counts down towards midnight, the journalists fight a desperate battle to get the truth out into the open.

With its stylish black-and-white cinematography and claustrophobic momentum, The History of the Occult is a horror movie out of the ordinary. Eschewing jumpscares in favor of psychedelic logic and tingling chills, Cristian Ponce's directorial debut is a thought-provoking metaphor for the social and political status quo in current-day Argentina.

This film was chosen by film critic Aksel Kielland.