In 1940, in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, a young girl living on the Castilian plain is haunted after attending a screening of James Whale's 1931 film Frankenstein and hearing from her sister that the monster is not dead, instead existing as a spirit inhabiting a nearby barn.
It's a film that transports us back not just to the sights and sounds of childhood but to a core of sweet innocence and sometimes ignorant bliss.
– Michael Wilmington,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jul 2006
fresh:
This is a modest marvel of grace and framing that unfolds with the patience of a cloud and is driven more by wonder than pure emotion.
– Wesley Morris,
Boston Globe,
26 May 2006
fresh:
Those who haven't seen it since the '70s may find themselves amazed all over again by its lyrical potency and grace; those who have never seen it may wonder how it can be that a film this great isn't shown somewhere all the time.
– Terry Lawson,
Detroit Free Press,
31 Mar 2006
fresh:
Screening in a new print so pristine you forget that this film is 33 years old, Spirit of the Beehive sweeps you into its quiet world.
– Moira MacDonald,
Seattle Times,
24 Mar 2006
fresh:
Takes place at the particular intersection of reality and fantasy defined by youthful moviegoing.