Cinema in Spanish has always been a pioneer in horror film, effortlessly marrying the creepy supernatural with the very human narrative. Whether it’s supernatural fear, found footage, or psychological horror, movie makers have made some of the greatest horror movies in Spain and Latin American countries.
Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)
This amazing Mexican dark fantasy is about a young girl who has an unattached mother and joins a small group of street children. The movie masterfully examines the true horror of child survivors living in cartel-ravaged cities with the help of ghosts and magic.
Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022)
Bone-chilling body horror movie about a woman who was happy to be a first-time mother when she is attacked by a diabolical, bone-snapping entity. The film garnered critics’ praise for its ingenious and fearsome exploration of parenthood.
La Llorona (2019)
The Guatemala legend is new and fresh, yet sophisticated in this political horror film. The film is about a grieving mother who becomes a vengeful spirit and haunts a retired general who was acquitted in court of real-world genocide.
The Wolf House (2018)
Follow a young woman who escapes from a religious cult, finds shelter in a strange house in the woods, and begins to experience surreal horrors. The film is highly acclaimed by critics for its dreamlike and dark imagery.
Good Manners (2017)
This boldly innovative Brazilian film masterfully balances a variety of tonal shifts as it unearths the story of a solitary nurse who takes the place of the nanny of the unborn child of a wealthy woman. The nurse understands that her boss is different when it’s a full moon.
When Evil Lurks (2023)
A modern classic Argentinian horror film that is far more effective on the visceral level. It tells of two brothers who come across a demonic possession seething in a nearby farm, but when they try to get it under control in an unorganized way, a mass of graphic horror sweeps over their town.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo del Toro’s darkest masterpiece has been a beautiful mix between the real-world horrors of post-civil war Spain and an underground, terrifying fantasy world. The film’s iconic design of the creatures includes the iconic and fearsome “Pale Man,” who eats children.
The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
This clever political satire takes place near the end of the Spanish Civil War and is another atmospheric ghost story from director Guillermo del Toro. The story follows a young orphan boy learning about the disturbing secrets of a secluded school terrorized by an angry ghost.
Piggy (2022)
Piggy is a brutal and tense psychological slasher, in which the story is of an overweight teenager who is relentlessly bullied at school by her classmates. However, things take a dark turn when she sees a mysterious man abduct her bullies, and she must decide to either aid them or remain silent.
REC (2007)
One of the most acclaimed found-footage horror films ever released, [REC] is about a television reporter and her cameraman who are cornered in a dark housing complex during a severe government quarantine because of a terrifying, rabies-like outbreak.
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