ROSARIO Director Felipe Vargas and Star Emeraude Toubia on Embracing Horror, Heritage, and Generational Trauma
- creepykingdom
- Apr 30
- 4 min read
By Shannon McGrew
In the upcoming horror film ROSARIO, Wall Street stockbroker Rosario Fuentes returns to her grandmother’s apartment after her sudden death. While sorting through her Grandmother’s belongings, Rosario uncovers a horrifying secret - a hidden chamber filled with occult artifacts tied to dark generational rituals. As supernatural occurrences plague her, Rosario must confront her family’s buried secrets and face the truth about the sacrifices and choices they made.
For the release of ROSARIO, Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew spoke with director Felipe Vargas and actor Emeraude Toubia. During their chat, they discussed everything from the challenges of stepping into a new genre and working with practical effects to the film’s powerful themes of cultural identity, sacrifice, and generational trauma.
Thank you both so much for speaking with me today! Felipe, what initially drew you to ROSARIO, and what was the experience like bringing this story to life?
Felipe Vargas: What drew me to ROSARIO was the script written by Alan Trezza. He is an incredible horror comedy writer, and I read this, and it felt like fate. The world works in mysterious ways. It was everything I wanted to do in a first feature and more. It was body horror, it was a multi-generational family like the one I grew up in, it was a Latino story, the culture that I was surrounded by, and themes of sacrifice, of what you leave behind, of the American dream that you’re pursuing. All of that was in there, and on top of that, Alan and I are both Colombian American. They wanted to film this movie in Colombia, in part, because it’s a New York story, but a big chunk of it was filmed in South America, where I was born and from, so it was a very full circle and the perfect fit.
Emeraude, what was the biggest challenge for you in stepping into Rosario’s shoes? Were there any parts of yourself that you saw reflected in her?
Emeraude Toubia: The biggest challenge was that I had never done horror. I was so scared of screaming, like, how do you scream? How do you genuinely scream to get everyone’s hair to stand? I just wanted to take on the challenge. I wanted to do something that scared me, because it only makes you better. Working with Felipe and the entire team, which is mostly Latino, was an even more reason to be part of such an important project.
In ROSARIO, I feel one of the main themes is rejecting where you come from and how that only empowers you. As a person, sometimes you feel like you need to do certain things to fit in with your friends, with colleagues, in life. Where you come from, your family's sacrifices, and what makes you who you are, are even more special and authentic. I feel like we need to hone in on that a little bit more as human beings and stop thinking about what everyone else thinks and just be authentically you.
One of the standout elements of the film is its use of practical effects. Felipe, what was it like creating those moments? And Emeraude, how was it for you to experience them firsthand on set?
Felipe Vargas: I’ve always loved special effects. To me, that’s the magic of movies. Creature effects, makeup, and special effects are all so much fun. We had an incredible team, both in Colombia and in LA, that brought these creatures and effects to life. The goal was to make it as handcrafted and tangible as possible, as real as it could be. Yes, this is supernatural, but it’s present in the room with her. It also gave Emeraude something to interact with to feel that presence
Emeraude Toubia: I was experiencing it as Rosario was experiencing it. We had a great team of professionals handling all these different types of creatures and items. It all felt so real. I was so impressed by how incredibly talented and dedicated the folks back in Colombia are. It was an immersive experience. The rooms, the hallways, the photos, every little detail made it so much easier for me to be present, vulnerable, and explore my feelings.
The film goes beyond just thrills and chills—it taps into deeper, real-world themes like generational and historical trauma. Ultimately, it highlights the very real horrors associated with the immigrant experience. Can you discuss the significance of incorporating those visuals and what they signify within the broader narrative?
Felipe Vargas: It’s more relevant today than ever before. Horror has always been a mirror, and it’s always been a reflection of what’s going on now. As a first-generation, I moved from Colombia and saw one of my parents leave behind their family, friends, and their career to start over, to give me a chance to succeed and be where I am, and make this movie about them in a meta way. It felt like this burden of that sacrifice was really at the heart of the horror of this film. It’s something a lot of immigrants have experienced, but I think it’s something anyone can connect to when it comes to rediscovering where you come from and your parents and your grandparents’ secrets or what they did for you to be where you are.
Emeraude Toubia: I remember being with Felipe on my last day of shooting, and it was very emotional. We were reenacting something much, much deeper with the people who are doing it. It really grounded and humbled me to see that. I complain about the stupidest things sometimes, and I’m like, there are far worse things happening to other people for me to be complaining. It was a learning experience in putting things into perspective that we sometimes forget.
ROSARIO arrives in theaters nationwide on May 2, 2025.
