Keratyna opens with an epigraph from David Icke’s book, The Reptilian Brain, expressing how fear is used to isolate and control populations. If you’ve heard about reptilian aliens taking over the elite with plans of controlling the world, then you can thank Icke, who popularized the idea. The quote isn't just a one-off; its ideas weave through the film, from the fears of its characters to the contextual background news reports that highlight diplomatic and military skirmishes.

Rat, while closing in on middle age, still lives with his mother and hosts a YouTube conspiracy channel. He has more than a little of T.S. Eliot’s Prufrock in him. He’s balding and, despite his abrasive surface, he knows he frequently plays the fool. At times his voice squeaks like a teacup on a saucer. All faces are masks in his world. Obsessed with exposing hidden power structures, he ironically fails to report a crime he witnesses outside his window (and like Prufrock, he looks up to see a lonely man in a window). As Alicia, a prostitute and self-described "obligatory girl" in the film puts it, "Truth is overrated. It’s easier to know someone by their lies." After the murder, the movie evolves into a mix of Rear Window (1954) and paranoid techno-thrillers updated for the QAnon era.

While the action is straightforward, the movie continues to layer images and ideas, shifting from Rear Window meets The Conversation (1974) to Vertigo (1958) meets They Live (1988). Characters and relationships connected by literal and figurative masks, start to double and mirror each other. Rat, timid in real life but confident on camera, struggles with his own identity and drug use. Why is he known as The Rat when he can’t rat out the murderous neighbor? Is he The Rat because he’s like a mouse running from the reptilian overlords? The title refers to a shampoo he sees advertised. Is there something to seeing not only his name, but also a possible future with a fuller-head of hair with this keratin shampoo? These questions pop up like shining trays of hors d'oeuvres. They aren’t the main course, but they are fun to chew on. With certain ideas and questions, the film answers with social commentary alongside pitch-black humor that undercuts the critique. Though Icke has authored many similar books, The Reptilian Brain and its quote seem to be invented for the film, adding another layer of doubling and mistruth.

The cast is exceptional. Fernando Ramallo brings depth to Rat, making him both despicable and empathetic. Maiken Beitia as Rat's mother perfectly balances the frustration and hope of aging. Jordi Aguilar is somehow both commanding and childlike. Mireia Oriol becomes a pivotal character, spinning out several thematic threads with minimal screen time.

On the one hand, if you're looking for straightforward horror or dislike subtitles, then the movie won’t be for you. On the other hand, if a mix of dark comedy with quieter shades of horror gets your pineal pumping, then Keratyna might even satisfy your third eye.