Rapture (1980)

The movie Rapture (1980) takes us into the distressed world of a low-budget horror filmmaker, José Sirgado. Struggling with substance addiction and ensnared in a tumultuous relationship with his actress girlfriend, Ana, Sirgado finds himself at the edge of despair. The weight of the day's work in the editing room is relieved only by the sight of a mysterious package awaiting him at home, an unexpected gift left in the midst of the wreckage of his personal life. The package carries a spool of developed Super-8 film and an accompanying cassette tape, creative brainchildren of Pedro, an eccentric filmmaker drawn to the edge of sanity. Pedro's connection to Sirgado is through Marta, Sirgado's ex-girlfriend and Pedro's relative, binding them in a spider's web of shared histories and artistic pursuits. The contents of the package reveal Pedro's efforts to document his own consciousness during drug-induced states, a project as fascinating as it is terrifying. As Sirgado delves into Pedro's haunting media, he finds himself using heroin as a tool for comprehension, a dangerous liaison between his addiction and his artistry. In this surreal journey, an eerie parallel begins to form between the vampiric grip of heroin and the hypnotic allure of filmmaking. Pedro's fixation on Sirgado's films takes a chilling turn as he begins to unravel the fate of the horror film director who mysteriously vanished. This leads them deeper into the abyss of drug addiction and the terrifying allure of the camera's lens. In a haunting climax, it is revealed that the missing filmmaker was consumed by his own camera, a revelation that leaves Pedro prepared to meet the same fate. As the lines between reality and hallucination blur, both filmmakers are drawn into a state of rapture, a dangerous obsession that threatens to consume them. Will they succumb to the vampiric allure of their addictions, or will they find the pathway to redemption in the chilling depths of their art?

Rapture is a drama movie featuring Eusebio Poncela.

Rapture is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on Criterion Channel.

It is also possible to buy Rapture on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and YouTube.