Do you want to see something scary? Forget classic horror films like The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby and The Shining. This year, with movies like The Forever Purge, Madres, Bingo Hell, and Night Teeth premiering at theaters and on streaming platforms, we’re hoping this is just the beginning of a resurgence of Latine talent getting their fair share of gigs in front of and behind the camera on horror productions. Late last year, Madres screenwriter Marcella Ochoa told Remezcla that she wanted to see more “people who looked like me” in horror films, which is why she wrote her own.
Until Hollywood begins hiring Latines by the droves, check out these handful of horror movies featuring Latine talent and/or Latine narratives that horror buffs can stream right now on Netflix just in time for Halloween.
1
The Old Ways
This gory 2020 horror movie follows Cristina López (Brigitte Kali Canales), a young Mexican American journalist, who travels to Veracruz to reconnect with her heritage. While there, she is kidnapped by residents who believe she is possessed by a demon. The majority Latine film also stars Andrea Cortés (On My Block), Julia Vera (Elena of Avalor), and Sal López (Selena).
2
Mercy Black
Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) stars as Marina Hess, a patient at a psychiatric hospital who is released after serving 15 years for stabbing a classmate. She committed the crime because of a ghostly urban legend she believed in. And now that she’s out, she has to do everything in her power to drive the evil spirit away for a final time.
3
Menédez: The Day of the Lord
A retired Catholic priest (Juli Fábregas) and ex-con are dragged back into the dark world of exorcisms when he agrees to help a friend save his possessed teenage daughter. Menédez: The Day of the Lord is a Mexico-Spain production. Warnings for violent scenes are needed for this one.
4
Dark Forces
This horror movie stars Tenoch Huerta (The Forever Purge) as a criminal who visits a hotel searching for his missing sister but encounters something a lot more malicious. Written and directed by Bernardo Arellano (Serpent’s Paradise), the film also stars Erendira Ibarra (Sense8).
5
Ladronas de Almas
Set during the Mexican War of Independence, a group of revolutionaries arrive to an abandoned ranch where a disabled man lives with his three daughters. After only one night, the insurgents realize that the family is hiding something sinister.
6
Dead Again in Tombstone
In the 2013 original film, Dead in Tombstone, Danny Trejo (Machete) stars as Guerrero, a man who makes a deal with the Devil. In the sequel, Guerrero is resurrected to stop a group of soldiers from getting their hands on a powerful relic that has the potential to destroy the world.