Episode 186: The BEST Spanish Language Horror Movies

When considering foreign language horror, do not sleep on Spanish productions. It’s not usually the first stop in horror, with French Extremism, Italian Giallo, and J-Horror often getting the most notoriety. There are some legendary titles from Latin America that you should consider. In Episode 186, the Scariest Things gives you nine titles worthy of a watch.
The twenty-first century has triggered a bloom of fantastic horror movies from Spain. Led by Pan’s Labyrinth, The Orphanage, [REC], and Veronika, Spanish horror has been prolific in quantity and quality over the past twenty years. Mike has pegged a lot of Spanish films as “transgressive.” Given the era that Mike loves (70’s and 80’s grindhouse), it isn’t surprising that he has found a bunch of films that push social boundary norms. More current Spanish films have reined in some of the more exploitive tendencies but still manage to land major shocks within more sophisticated presentations. (The Skin I Live In, is a good example.)
While Mexico remains a sleeping horror giant (Tigers are Not Afraid, Santa Sangre, and Cronos, among the few notable titles), the Patagonian countries of Argentina and Chile are emerging hotbeds within the genre. Last year, few horror movies received as many plaudits as When Evil Lurks (Argentina) and El Conde (Chile). Patagonia is producing an out-sized percentage of good horror movies right now. There must be something culturally within these countries that is inspiring some scary stuff.
So, listen in to Eric, Liz, and Mike’s attempt to pronounce Spanish titles and revel in some of their favorite Spanish Language features.