The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) (El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja)), also listed simply as The Devil Smokes, is an ambitious and visually arresting film that captivates with its haunting cinematography, transporting audiences into a world steeped in uncertainty, grief, and superstition. On the big screen, the film is a sensory experience, the camera lingering thoughtfully on weathered landscapes, shadowy interiors, and the expressive faces of its youthful cast. Each frame is meticulously composed, suggesting a story teeming with emotional weight and deeper meaning. Unfortunately, the film’s visual strength cannot entirely compensate for its narrative shortcomings, resulting in a final product that feels both undercooked and frustratingly ambiguous.
Set in 1990s Mexico during Pope John Paul II’s much-anticipated second visit, the story centers around the Palacios López siblings, five children left to their own devices after their mother vanishes without explanation.
A still from THE DEVIL SMOKES. Photo courtesy of SFFILM.
As their father sets off in search of his missing wife, the children are left in the care of their mentally unstable grandmother, Romana. Soon after the mother’s disappearance, five mysterious pairs of shoes appear, prompting the youngest sibling, Victor, to ominously declare, “The Devil brought them.” This eerie proclamation marks the beginning of a narrative that dances between reality and delusion, psychological trauma and supernatural suggestion.
There is genuine heart at the center of The Devil Smokes. It’s easy to understand why it received the Berlinale’s inaugural Perspectives Award for fiction debut; the film shows great promise and sensitivity, especially in its portrayal of childhood resilience and the quiet, aching confusion that follows abandonment. The young cast delivers nuanced, believable performances, and the film occasionally strikes deeply emotional chords. Yet, as the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly unclear what sort of tale the filmmakers are trying to tell. Is it a psychological thriller? A supernatural mystery? A meditation on religious trauma and generational mental illness? Or simply a melodramatic family saga? The film toys with all of these possibilities but ultimately commits to none.
This lack of focus is one of The Devil Smokes‘s most glaring flaws. While its themes are rich and relevant (including mental health, faith, superstition, and the often-blurry line between fantasy and reality), they are handled with uneven pacing and clumsy editing. Scenes that should build tension or emotional depth are often drawn out or abruptly cut, leaving viewers unmoored and unsure of the film’s intended emotional trajectory.
As a result, the pacing feels sluggish, even disjointed, robbing key moments of their potential impact. Additionally, the film’s symbolic elements, like the mysterious shoes or the recurring references to the Devil, are introduced with intrigue but are never fully developed. These motifs seem to promise a larger revelation or thematic payoff, but instead they linger like ghostly whispers — evocative, yet ultimately unfulfilled. It feels as if the film is constantly on the cusp of greatness, inching toward a profound statement it never quite articulates.
A still from THE DEVIL SMOKES. Photo courtesy of SFFILM.
That said, The Devil Smokes is not without merit. Its direction demonstrates a filmmaker with a clear visual sensibility and an interest in exploring complex, emotionally fraught material. There are moments of genuine beauty and poignancy throughout the film, and its exploration of belief, both religious and personal, offers food for thought. However, these strengths are frequently overshadowed by narrative indecision and structural issues that make the viewing experience feel more like a series of missed opportunities than a cohesive whole.
In the end, The Devil Smokes is a film of potential — visually striking and thematically rich, but lacking the narrative clarity and discipline needed to fully deliver on its promise. It’s a film that wants to say something profound about childhood, faith, and fear, but gets lost in its own stylistic ambition. With stronger storytelling and more confident direction, this could have been a true cinematic gem. As it stands, it’s an intriguing but ultimately uneven debut.
Screened during San Francisco International Film Festival 2025.
For more information, head to the official SFFILM 2025 The Devil Smokes webpage.
Final Score: 2 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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