Twitter: @danieluh
It’s the fortnight before Halloween. It’s time to get creepy and it’s safe to say Latinos love to be scared. You can’t really grow up in a Latino household without hearing tales of La Llorona, la chupacabra, el Cucuy or some other creature and horrifying parientes that will probably ruin your life. Our love of horror has surpassed folklore and superstitions into the film realm.
According to Nielsen, global information and tracking website , almost half of young Latinos between ages of 12 and 34 watch 11 or more movies a year. Hispanics also have the highest share in film audiences for horror/thriller and romantic comedy genres.( Latinos love horror y amor? Makes perfect sense, but we won’t get into that.)
To keep you in the loop for your next creepy movie night, we’ve gathered a few of the horror films that are just released or will be in prime position to spook you through Halloween and the holiday season. Because nothing says Holidays like a good zombie/simulated snuff film. ENYOY!
1. Sleep Tight (Mientras Duermes)-Jaume Balagueró-USA Release: October 26
Spanish director Jaume Balagueró, co-creator of the blockbuster [●REC] series delves into the mind of Cesar, doorman of an otherwise normal Barcelona apartment building, whose only desire is to make others unhappy. He sets his eyes on Clara, a cheery new resident, and his only mission is to become a real life boogeyman and slowly ruin her nights by any means necessary. Creep factor may be especially high for those living in apartments with snazzy elevators and lobbies. I’m definitely too broke for a doorman, but good luck to the rest of y’all.
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2. V/H/S- Various- October 5 (Limited Release)- Available OnDemand
This film is low resolution, but high on terror. Filmed to emulate found footage ala Blair Witch Project, V/H/S follows a group of guys that have been hired by a mysterious third party to to break into a desolate house (never a good sign), and steal a rare VHS tape. The film is broken into a series of shorts, each video with different directors, one including directing quartet Radio Silence(Justin Martinez.) Each video that the group watches gets stranger and stranger than the last, all while switching back to the main story arc which involves dead bodies, demons, ghosts, and many more things you hope to never watch again.
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3. [REC]³ Génesis – Paco Plaza – Available OnDemand
Genesis is the third installment of the Spanish REC series, directed by Paco Plaza. The found footage genre is going strong with this film following a couple on their wedding day and inadvertently capturing the chaos that is coming. One of the couple’s uncles claims to have been bitten by a dog, only to slowly get sicker and sicker during the ceremony and eventually begins to attack wedding guests. This story story might not seem too different than that usual Zombie-like Tio overly enjoying a wedding’s open bar, but the terror and gore that ensues will quickly change your mind.
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4. Mama – Andres Muschietti – USA Release : January 2013
Ah, there’s nothing like a creepy kid to really take a horror movie to the next level. Now, add 2 feral sisters that have been left alone in a house in the forest for 5 years and the creepy factor is off the charts. This remake of Muschietti’s 2008 Spanish short film follows Annabel and Lucas, a couple who have agreed to take the 2 girls in after discovering that they are Lucas’ nieces. After some time, the couple become suspicious of the girls’ strange behavior after they believe that their “mama” is watching over them. And mama’s not happy…
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