ERREMENTARI (2018) is an unusual film. Translated from its Basque language, the word means blacksmith. Rather than a straight horror film, it is based upon an old folklore tale entitled The Smith and the Devil, a legend where a smith makes a deal with the devil by offering his soul, but later is able to renege upon the deal with trickery. The new film, released in the United States by Netflix, uses this as a backdrop for a more personal message of the Basque people.
When the orphan girl, Usue, has her doll thrown over a property fence surrounding the hermit-like blacksmith, she sneaks inside the perimeter. Curiosity gets the most of her where she enters the domain of the recluse. While inside she finds a boy imprisoned in a cage. Being the kind soul she is, she tries desperately to free him before the blacksmith discovers her presence.
Much like many films released on Netflix, ERREMENTARI had little to no prior hype surrounding it. But it has gained some notice as the channel and its algorithm advertised it on its main page or after similar films. Dark Discussions takes a look at this very odd yet interesting film and gives their thoughts.