La segunda muerte
A clairvoyant boy links deaths to the Virgin Mary.
La segunda muerte (The Second Death) is a 2012 Argentinian horror-drama film. Set in a small pampas village, the story involves a young clairvoyant boy and a female police officer looking into a string of unexplained deaths. The boy believes the Virgin Mary is responsible. As of 2017, the film was only sold on home video within South America.
The plot begins with a boy, around nine or ten years old, and an adult man (whose relationship to the boy is unclear) driving on a quiet road. The boy sees a strange woman’s face illuminated by a flash of light. The next day, a completely burned body is found on that same road. The young, attractive police officer investigates. The forensic doctor says lightning caused the death, but the boy feels this is wrong, and the officer agrees. She decides the boy and the man must stay in the village for a few days. A second badly burned body appears, and again the doctor blames lightning, though he has no other explanation. The officer realizes two lightning strikes are unlikely. The boy sees things he is afraid to tell the man he is traveling with. After a third similar death, some villagers form their own theories but keep them from the police, instead focusing on the village priest. The forensic doctor now suggests spontaneous self-burning, but remains clueless. The boy can see events from the past, and it becomes clear that something evil happened in the village thirty or forty years ago. A dead woman has returned as a ghost to avenge an old injustice.
- Year
- 2012
- Country
- Argentina
- Genre
- Horror/Drama
- Director
- Not specified in source
- Cast
- Agustina Lecouna, Tomás Lizzio, Guillermo Arengo, Mauricio Dayub, Germán de Silva, Ricardo Díaz Mourelle
- Availability
- As of 2017, only on home video in South America
Lore & Background
The film's plot centers on a young boy, about 9 or 10 years old, traveling with an adult man (whose relationship to the boy is unclear). While driving on a low-traffic road, the boy sees the strange face of a woman illuminated by a flash of light. The next day, a totally burned body is found on the same road. A young female police officer investigates, but the forensic doctor attributes the death to lightning. The boy feels this is wrong, and the officer becomes suspicious, detaining the boy and his possible father in the village for a few days.
Reader's Guide
A second badly burnt body is found, and again the forensic doctor diagnoses death by lightning, though he has no other explanation. The police officer realizes two lightning strikes are improbable. The boy sees things from the past but dares not share them. After a third death, villagers form their own conclusions and focus on the village priest, not the police. The forensic analyst suggests spontaneous self-burning, but remains clueless. It becomes obvious that something evil hit the village 30 or 40 years ago, and a dead woman has returned as a ghost to avenge an old injustice. The film aired on Danish television channel DR K during summer or autumn of 2015.
Did You Know?
- The film is an Argentinian horror/drama released in 2012.
- As of 2017, it was only available on home video in South America.
- The Danish DR K channel aired the film during the summer or autumn of 2015.
- The plot involves a young clairvoyant boy who attributes mysterious deaths to the Virgin Mary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is La segunda muerte and when was it made?
It is a 2012 Argentine horror-drama set in a small pampas village, following a young clairvoyant boy and a female police officer as they investigate a series of unexplained deaths. The film blends supernatural elements with a grounded small-town drama.
What is the central mystery in La segunda muerte?
A string of unexplained deaths—triggered after a boy witnesses a strange woman's face in a flash of light and a fully burned body is found the next day—drives the investigation. The clairvoyant boy becomes convinced the Virgin Mary is responsible for the killings, framing the horror around a religious conviction rather than a conventional monster.
Who are the main characters and cast in La segunda muerte?
The story centers on a nine- or ten-year-old clairvoyant boy and a female police officer, with an adult man whose exact relationship to the boy is left ambiguous. The credited cast includes Agustina Lecouna, Tomás Lizzio, Guillermo Arengo, Mauricio Dayub, Germán de Silva, and Ricardo Díaz Mourelle.
Where can I watch La segunda muerte?
As of 2017 the film was only sold on home video within South America, so it has not been widely distributed internationally. Fans outside the region have had to rely on imported physical copies rather than any streaming or theatrical release.
What tone and genre does La segunda muerte fall under?
It is classified as a horror-drama that leans into folk-horror territory, using a pampas village setting and a child's faith-based interpretation of events to create dread. Rather than relying on jump scares, the film builds tension through the boy's unwavering belief that a sacred figure is orchestrating the deaths.
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