Anti-Colonial Chilean Cinema, Argentinian Nunsploitation and Cartel Violence in Mexico - April 2025 Recap
‘Santo Vs. The Riders of Terror’: A Mexican Take On Western Horror Cinema
This month I decided to highlight one of Santo’s most unique films due to the release, success, and celebration of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
Sorcery - A Quiet Chilean Revenge Film
Caption: If you’re a fan of those atmospheric slow-burn horror films, you know the type that heavily relies on dreadful and daunting yet beautiful cinematography. In other words, a Robert Eggers film. Then there’s a chance you may like this Chilean film called Sorcery. So the film follows Rosa Rain, an Indigenous girl who is a servant to a German family during the 1800s and she is out for revenge after this immigrant family kills Rosa’s father. This is because the German family thinks Rosa’s father placed some sort of witchcraft on the sheep causing them to flop over lifeless. Now I’m going to be honest, this is not your typical revenge film in the sense that you’re not going to get this blood-soaked climax or anything of the sort. Instead, the film focuses more on Rosa connecting with her community during this situation. I can appreciate the way the story went even though it didn’t go how I thought it was going to. It is available to stream on Vix although it’s only in Spanish with Spanish subtitles at the moment so just a little heads up and remember I hope you don’t sleep on Latin American horror cinema.
The Unworthy - An Argentinian Nunsploitation Nightmare
Caption: Nunsploitation fans are thriving right now. In 2024 we got Immaculate and The First Omen. Now we have this Argentine religious horror book called The Unworthy written by Augustina Bazterrica. I believe this is her fifth book, and the second one translated in English with Tender is the Flesh being the first. Now I remember when Tender is the Flesh came out it made a huge commotion, as it should have, because of how uncomfortable the story gets. And you know what, Bazterrica doesn’t hold back on this one either. Only this time it’s just a different level of uneasiness. We get a dystopian story where we follow the unnamed protagonist as she navigates this dead world caused by climate change. Through a series of letters, we also see the events that took place that led her to the Sacred Sisterhood. Now in this covenant there’s this cosmic entity called He or Him. It’s second in command, Sister Superior, enforces his sadistic rules against the members of the cult. And this is where the nunsploitation tropes come into play. Now even though this is a short read, the story still takes its time unraveling this world and what caused the destruction of it. We are thrown into the chaos and violence without much explanation and I felt like this worked so well, although confusing at times. But once the narrative picks up and you understand this post-apocalyptic world, this book dives into some gnarly stuff. Some of the imagery is burned into my mind forever just like with Tender is the Flesh. And just a heads up the audiobook is available on Spotify or you can pick up a copy as well. And remember don’t sleep on Latin American horror stories in this case.
Sujo - A Mexican Drama About Cartel Violence
Caption: Mexican cinema is in great hands with Fernanda Valarez. I just watched her second feature called Sujo, and man this is such a beautiful film both inside and out. I’m not surprised given her directorial debut was Identifying Features, a film I’ve had on my Letterboxd top four since I watched it for the first time and have gotten the privilege to write about. While Identifying Features feels a little hopeless as it deals with a mother looking for her missing son, Sujo continues the same type of story about cartel violence but there’s a sense of optimism. The film follows the titular character as he navigates through this violent life that is set up for him and his struggles with leaving it. And let me say this, Sujo is not a bloody, intense action-packed film. It’s the complete opposite, Valarez forces us to meditate on the characters’ actions and dilemmas that rises and how the people surrounding you can impact your life, both good and bad. And in the end, it’s your decisions that will lead you to the life you choose. And speaking on a technical standpoint, this film has some outstanding cinematography and thought-provoking frames. Valarez utilizes it effectively to portray that sense of optimism that even though things are low right now, you can get through this. This film is available to rent online and remember don’t sleep on Latin American cinema.
Highlighting 2 Films That Center Around The Immigrant Struggle And The Fast Food Industry
Fast Food Nation
American Carnage
I wanted to slightly venture into reviewing Latin American horror novels with the release of The Unworthy. I’ll try my best to incorporate more of these from now on. As always, appreciate you. Stay safe.