: Following her father's death, 15-year-old Verónica is forced to care for her three younger siblings while her mother works 20-hour shifts. The supernatural "attacks" on her siblings can be read as her own subconscious resentment and exhaustion leaking out in a violent psychotic break .
The 2017 Spanish film is often categorized as a standard supernatural horror, but many critics and viewers interpret it as a "deep piece" by viewing the haunting as a metaphor for the crushing weight of adolescent responsibility and grief . Thematic Deep-Dive: Possession vs. Psychosis
: Several elements, including recurring mentions of her period and nightmare imagery of her naked father, suggest the horror is tied to the fear of maturity and a loss of childhood innocence.
