From Jeff Nelson

The supernatural horror sub-genre feeds off the primal fear of the unknown, exploring entities beyond typical comprehension with the power to unleash great evils upon the world. The terror only intensifies when it involves human worshippers of such wickedness. But, if we take away the fear of the unknown, we aren’t left with much, and that’s where You’re Not Me sits.

Aitana (Roser Tapias) returns home along with her wife, Gabi (Yapoena Silva), and their young child to surprise her family for Christmas. However, they soon discover that their arrival isn’t quite as welcomed as they expected, with the exception of Aitana’s younger brother, Saúl (Jorge Motos). She learns that the family brought a Romanian refugee named Nadia (Anna Kurikka) into the family, who replaced her spot as their daughter. Aitana desperately demands answers that lead her down the path of a dark family secret.

You’re Not Me begins curiously enough, as Aitana’s parents react awkwardly cold toward her arrival. They’re seemingly disapproving of every aspect of her life that they’re just now learning about, all while essentially replacing her existence with Nadia. The most chilling moments are buried in Aitana’s nightmares, where her baby’s life is in peril at the hands of Nadia. Writer/directors Marisa Crespo and Moisés Romera walk the line between dream and reality, toying with the possibility of supernatural involvement.

It doesn’t take much for Gabi to take the side of Aitana’s family over her own wife, falling in line with the frustrating genre trope. Their relationship initially appears loving and trusting, but Gabi quickly distrusts Aitana without reason in favor of complete strangers. The majority of the tension in You’re Not Me comes from the baby’s wellbeing, which constantly feels in jeopardy.

The mysteries at play are fairly easy to figure out rather early into the film’s 98-minute runtime. The audience is frequently several steps ahead of You’re Not Me, putting the pacing at a frustratingly slow path to a realization that the viewer already reached long before it actually happens on the screen. Despite the climax’s familiar trappings, it executes the finale with style.

You’re Not Me is a predictable trip down horror holiday lane that doesn’t have anywhere particularly compelling to go. This thriller relies heavily on leading the viewer down several potential paths, but they feel pointless when we already know which one it’s taking. The production looks slick enough, but its thrills are underwhelming.

Rating: 2.5/5

You’re Not Me played at Fantastic Fest 2023 on September 22nd, 2023.

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