'Satanic Hispanics' Streaming Movie Review: A Latino Tales From The Crypt
- Details
- Published: Thursday, 28 March 2024 15:34
- Written by Lupe R Haas
SATANIC HISPANICS is a Latino horror anthology, directed by five directors, with various styles and tones, from campy horror to bone-chilling talesSome segments are more entertaining and unique than others, but overall, the anthology celebrates an untapped market for horror from the Latino perspective.
In five very different horror stories, directors Alejandro Brugues, Mike Mendez, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Eduardo Sanchez (BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), and Demian Rugna each bring very different kind of horror to the anthology. Familiar faces star in the new film, now airing on Shudder, such as Efren Ramirez (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE), Jacob Vargas (Sons of Anarchy, TRAFFIC), Patricia Velasquez (THE MUMMY), and the underacted actor Hemky Madera (Queen Of The South).
The glue that holds all the stories together is the tale of Santa Muerta (short for Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte) which translates to Our Lady of Holy Death. A centuries-old Traveler (Ramirez) recounts the tales of the folk saint from Mexican folk Catholicism and Neopaganism, and warns of the horrors that Santa Muerta brings with it if police detectives don't release him from custody.
However, the individual segments don't make the Santa Muerta connection clear. The Traveler states its influence is everywhere but the shorts don't directly address her connection, instead, they introduce a new Boogeyman like a ghost, a vampire (Madera) and his girlfriend (Velasquez), the undead, mythical beings, and a cult. The coolest monster design is the Santa Muerta but it doesn't show until the very end with very little screen time for the terrifying form.
The tone ranges from gruesome to campy. Two out of the five are in Spanish and the rest are in English. The best ones are the comedic shorts featuring an aging vampire and a demon. One of the influences is clearly the grindhouse films of the 70s.
Ironically the most violent and disturbing short comes from the only woman director among the group, Gigi Saul Guerrero, whose past work in the horror genre got her noticed, and led to a first-look deal with Blumhouse Productions.
Shudder is a perfect home for SATANIC HISPANICS which was originally released theatrically in September of 2023, given its campy nature, and its Tales from the Crypt formula. The film is now streaming on Shudder.