Veneciafrenia Trailer: Alex De La Iglesia Turns Carnival Of Venice Into The Purge
Álex de la Iglesia is one of the biggest names in Spanish horror even if he hasn't achieved mainstream success in the U.S. His film "The Day of the Beast" is a phenomenal horror comedy, and his recent TV series "30 Coins" is one of the best religious horror stories ever, with a distinct style and bonkers story. This is to say, I'm already an easy target for a new de la Iglesia joint, but the trailer for "Venciafrenia" is even better than I could have imagined.
The trailer sort of looks like a Mediterranean take on "The Purge," a bloody event of mayhem and destruction aimed at reclaiming Venice from the tourists that are literally sinking the city to the bottom of the Adriatic Sea by killing people during the iconic Carnival of Venice.
It's a party like no other
"Veneciafrenia" is the first in a series of films being released by Prime Video and Sony Pictures International under the banner "The Fear Collection," with de la Iglesia serving as creative director and producer through his label Abel Pokeepsie. Here's the official synopsis for "Veneciafrenia:"
"Compounded by the anguish of the last decades, the rage of the Venetians against this foreign invasion has now reached a flashpoint, with some now giving full rein to their instinct for survival. Oblivious to this, a simple group of Spanish tourists travel to Venice to have some fun. They will soon be fighting for their lives."
The premise is already quite interesting, as tourism has definitely brought problems to Venice, causing locals to leave the city while the weight of millions of tourists a year sinks the city, literally. But de la Iglesia is not content with just doing a rehash of "The Purge" in a different location, as the trailer seems to indicate a slightly bigger focus on a mystery, with a group of Spanish tourists being invited to a supposedly exclusive party by a creepy stranger in a mask (always a good sign), before one of their own mysteriously disappears.
The film was written by de la Iglesia and Jorge Guerricaechevarría. It stars Ingrid García-Jonsson, Silvia Alonso, Goize Blanco, Nicolás Lloro, Alberto Bang, Cosimo Fusco, Enrico Lo Verso, Armando di Razza, Caterina Murino, and Nico Romero.
"Veneciafrenia" does not have an American release date just yet, but it will scream into Spanish theaters on April 22, 2022. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long before being able to see it stateside.