The Virgin of the Quarry Lake
The Virgin of the Quarry Lake
Follows a jealous girl who enlists the help of magic to interfere with a relationship involving the apple of her eye.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 25, 2025
The Virgin of Quarry Lake is a sun-scorched coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of Argentina’s economic crisis, where teenage longing collides with the weight of everyday survival. Dolores Oliviero is captivating as Natalia, an orphaned teen living with her grandmother navigating a summer that feels both endless and suffocating. With water shortages forcing her to haul buckets from a well, a grief-stricken neighbor boy delegated to her care, and an elusive crush on Diego that doesn’t go the way she hopes—Nati drifts through her days with a mix of resignation and simmering frustration.
For much of the runtime, it plays like a hazy hangout film—poolside gossip, cigarette breaks, languid dips in the titular Quarry Lake. But under the surface, there's a palpable tension as Natalia's bitterness begins to bloom into something darker. The final act dips into the supernatural just enough to suggest an emotional rupture rather than a full-on genre turn, and it works surprisingly well. Beautifully shot and anchored by Oliviero’s performance.