5 Latin American Horror Movies That Will Surprise You

Last year’s winner of the competition Sitges Film Festival It was a Latin American horror film. More than that, one that wowed the jury and the horror-loving public with its grotesque, uncomfortable and well-constructed plot. When Evil Lurks by the Argentinean Demian Rugna, was the big surprise of 2023, because it deals with evil that spreads like an infection. Especially because of the freedom with which its plot reinvented stereotypes and directly broke most of the taboos of genre cinema. The result is one of the most compelling films of this genre in the last three decades, one that will undoubtedly go down in cinema history.

This is not a coincidence. Horror offerings with a Latin American twist are becoming increasingly popular, but above all, they are the perfect choice for those looking for an unusual type of venue. And it is not only that most directors and screenwriters experiment with conventional themes from a dramatic and disconcerting point of view. At the same time, using the ability of scary stories to become a refraction of cultural and regional issues. So, in the end, this is a horror review that separates itself from more general offerings.

We leave you with five Latin American horror films that you can watch right now. From exploring the myths of witchcraft in Mexico to a disturbing journey through the concepts of death, time and horror. All from a surprising and especially, for the most part, sobering and sensitive point of view. The best that the Latin horror genre has to offer.

Completely Disappear (Netflix)

Directed by Luis Javier Henin, took a good portion of the myths and legends of witchcraft from Latin America and especially Mexico to create an uncomfortable story. Santiago (Harold Torres) is a photographer obsessed with capturing the most tragic, painful and brutal images. Which may lead him to make the mistake of a lifetime. Almost by accident, you come into contact with an evil force that will destroy everything important in your life.

Ricardo Aguado’s script moves slowly and devotes the first part of the film to showing the supernatural condemnation that weighs on Santiago. Little by little and without knowing the reason, he will begin to lose all his senses until he finally understands that his life depends on how much he can please the supernatural in an impossible decision. This: to give up his unborn child to save his life. Will he be able to, this heartless photographer who until recently refused to even acknowledge the existence of a child?

Shot in Mexico City, the film combines elements of folklore and ethnic angst, giving you some of the best scenes in the footage and an unsettling ending that makes it clear that evil manifests itself in mysterious ways.

Llorona (Film)

In 2019, Guatemalan director Jairo Bustamante took the legend of a ghostly woman dressed in white who haunts the rural roads of Latin America to create a rare work. Crybaby This is more than just a reimagining of one of the continent’s most terrifying myths.

At the same time, it is a recreation of the mourning, pain and fear that the genocide of indigenous peoples in Guatemala left behind. It is through a ghostly figure in search of revenge that seems to concentrate the hatred and resentment of a wounded country.

Alma (Maria Mercedes Coroy) is one of the many victims of military repression and brutality in the country’s first half of the century. Thirty years after the brutal tragedy, the man who destroyed his life is acquitted by a corrupt judicial system. But even so, he will receive his punishment at the hands of a spirit filled with an insurmountable hereditary grudge. With its pessimistic tone and morbid atmosphere, Crybaby This is one of the best Latin American horror films of recent years.

House at the End of Time (Filmin)

Also delving into themes of pain and guilt, Venezuelan director Alejandro Hidalgo has crafted a horrific story with a heartbreaking undercurrent. Dulce (Ruddy Rodriguez) has spent more than three decades in prison. accused of a crime she did not commit.

However, once behind bars, she is ready to uncover the mystery of the impossible disappearance and the dilemma of pure suffering that she will have to face again.

By mixing science fiction and pure horror, Hidalgo has managed to transform an old mansion in the city of Caracas into the epicenter of old beliefs. Especially since it becomes increasingly clear that Dulce will have to face the darkness, fear and secrets that the structure hides. Which he will eventually achieve, only to discover that every fact in his life, It is connected with a single night of suffering that made all his decisions inevitable.

They’re Coming Back (Movie)

This year, Mexican Issa Lopez amazed horror fans with the latest season of the series. True Detective: Polar NightFor this occasion, the scriptwriter and director combined the plot don’t go with hints of dark fantasy and supernatural overtones. The result is a mysterious story. which ended with a scenario of original justice that amazed both critics and audiences.

But already in 2017, Lopez delved into similar disputes with They are coming backa story that combines urban legends with paranormal horror. When Estrella (Paola Lara) tries to bring her mother back with a desperate wish, some invisible force grants her pleasure. Only her mother is dead, and a cruel spirit returns, thirsty for revenge and determined to find her. And this is while Estrella is running from her past, from the horror that haunts her everywhere, and fear for the future.

An elegant and sober look at terror, Vuelven features several anthology episodes that lead the film to a hopeless and brutal ending that has made Latin American history. It also became clear that Mexican cinema had a lot to offer in the horror genre.

Morgue (AMC+)

Paraguayan Hugo Cardoso creates a claustrophobic and effective story with a seemingly simple premise: When Diego (Pablo Martinez), the new security guard at the complex that houses the Asuncion morgue, finds himself locked in the building, he is driven to the brink of madness. And also the possibility of encountering a supernatural event for which he has no name and from which he does not know how to escape.

Little by little, Cardoso’s camera follows his character into the metallic darkness in which lie the corpses of the dispossessed city. But at the same time, he will discover – and almost by the most horrific accident – that death is not the end of life. And what happens next could become the territory of your worst nightmares.