The two women are taken to the dungeons of the Inquisition, where they are subjected to various forms of torture, such as whipping, burning, waterboarding, rack, pear of anguish and strappado. They are also humiliated and sexually abused by the guards and interrogators. Despite the pain and suffering, they refuse to confess or implicate each other. They are eventually sentenced to death by burning at the stake.
Production
The film was inspired by the historical cases of Ana de Castro and Francisca de la Cruz, two women who were executed for witchcraft by the Inquisition in Lima in 1736. The director Jac Avila wanted to make a realistic and graphic portrayal of the horrors of the Inquisition, as well as a tribute to the classic exploitation films of the 1970s. The film was shot in Bolivia with a low budget and a small crew. The actors performed their own stunts and endured real pain during the torture scenes. The film was praised for its authenticity, cinematography, performances and social commentary, but also criticized for its excessive violence, misogyny and lack of narrative coherence .
Reception
The film was released in Bolivia on October 30, 2011. It was also screened at several international film festivals, such as CineKink in New York, Fantasporto in Portugal, Sitges in Spain and Morbido in Mexico. The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Some praised it as a powerful and disturbing depiction of the oppression of women and the brutality of religious fanaticism , while others condemned it as a gratuitous and exploitative exercise in torture porn . The film has a cult following among fans of extreme cinema and has been compared to films such as The Passion of the Christ (2004), Martyrs (2008) and A Serbian Film (2010) .
References
[Maleficarum (2011) MUBI]
[Maleficarum (2011) - Plot - IMDb]
[Maleficarum (2011) The Movie Database (TMDB)]
[Maleficarum - Movie Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/maleficarum_2011/reviews)
[Maleficarum (2011) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2131579/reviews)
[Maleficarum (2011) - Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/film/maleficarum/)
[Maleficarum - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficarum)
[Review: Maleficarum (2011) HorrorNews.net](https://horrornews.net/46224/film-review-maleficarum-2011/)
[Maleficarum: A Review CineKink](http://cinekink.com/2012/02/08/maleficarum-a-review/)
[Maleficarum (2011) - Moria](http://moria.co.nz/horror/maleficarum-2011.htm)
[Maleficarum (2011) - Wicked Horror](https://wickedhorror.com/horror-reviews/maleficarum-2011/)
[The 10 Most Controversial Horror Movies of the Last Decade ScreenRant](https://screenrant.com/most-controversial-horror-movies-last-decade/)
[The 25 Most Disturbing Movies Ever Complex](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-25-most-disturbing-movies-ever/)
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