Abracadabra

Abracadabra (2017) is a Spanish tragicomedy with a supernatural streak, available to watch online on iFILM. Carmen is an everyday Madrid housewife, and her marriage to the gruff Carlos stopped bringing her any joy a long time ago.

It all flips after a hypnosis stunt at a family party: a ghost settles into her husband's body, and overnight Carlos turns tender, attentive, almost ideal. Carmen feels loved for the first time in years — except the man holding her isn't quite her husband anymore. The longer it goes on, the harder the question: pull the real Carlos back, or keep the spirit who adores her the way the living one never could. Maribel Verdú and Antonio de la Torre walk the couple along a fine line between farce and ache.

Director Pablo Berger, who made the silent Blancanieves, folds household comedy, horror touches and melodrama into one strange, charming meditation on love and loneliness. It's not for everyone, but fans of offbeat Spanish cinema will take to it. Stream Abracadabra (2017) online on iFILM.