As the story unfolds, it bears similarities to some of the best anthologies, where all that separates them from stories told around a campfire is location.
Satanic Hispanics is a fantastic addition to anthology stories, blending spine-chilling tales with comedic ones. Plus, it all focuses on Hispanic characters and stories. The opening sets the film’s mixed tones—violent with comedic moments. Satanic Hispanics establishes itself as a horror anthology of note through tales rooted in cultural history veering from eerie to gory to absurd.
The collection of stories has an assortment of directors, including Alejandro Brugués, Mike Mendez, and Demián Rugna. Akin to Tales From the Hood, it’s four stories with a foundational story that ties in with the larger tale at hand. As the story unfolds, it bears similarities to some of the best anthologies, where all that separates them from stories told around a campfire is location.
Satanic Hispanics Starts With Bloodshed
The story begins with police breaking into a home in El Paso. There, they discover a sole survivor among a pile of corpses named “El Viajero” or “The Traveler,” played by Efren Ramirez. As two detectives, Detective Gibbons (Sonya Eddy) and Detective Arden (Greg Grunberg), question him, the clock is already ticking on a looming threat. The Traveler asserts he needs to leave or everyone will die. As they question him about the gruesome discovery in the house, The Traveler segues into the first story, “Tambien lo Vi.”
Directed by Demián Rugna, “Tambien lo Vi” is about a bright man who finds something in his old house. It plays with concepts of time and reality in a chilling fashion. Moreover, the first vignette’s claustrophobic setting builds up immense pressure. Despite his sister’s urgings to sell the house and leave, Gustavo enjoys living there. But it’s a miserable environment. After all, this dimly lit house inspires fear and sadness. As such, dread builds as Gustavo (Demián Salomón) tries to prove that something dwells inside. All that remains is a haunting chill in the bones when the final scene plays.
Roll In Laughs and Gore
“El Vampiro,” directed by Eduardo Sánchez, starts tense. There’s a bar littered with freshly-drained bodies. As the vampire drains blood from an arm into shot glasses, one lone survivor tries making a break for it out the door. When the vampire catches her decreeing she’s under “his thrall,” the delivery creates a tonal confusion. However, once he notices a man walking his dog at the top of the stairway and leans into the exaggerated vampire traits, it’s clear this section is a comedy. Sometimes, the comedic bits last too long. But overall, it’s an immensely satisfying second story in Satanic Hispanics.
Next, the tale “Nahuales” looks to satiate gore hounds. Directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, it’s bloody, gross, and disturbing. The story goes from zero to a hundred at the outset. The final story, “Hammer of Zanzibar,” has director Mike Mendez leaning back into comedy. Although not as hilarious as “El Vampiro,” there are side-splitting moments. The over-the-top action brings to mind The Matrix. While The Traveler moves from one story to the next, the timer winds down on the incoming danger. Absurd, yet funny, it’s fitting and worthwhile that the events unfold in a police precinct.
Satanic Hispanics is an anthology with something for everyone. There are frights, laughs, and gore, all emphasizing culture and origins that add an additional layer of enjoyment. Of course, it’s natural to have a favorite among the assortment. But each one has value. Thanks to this collection of vignettes, Satanic Hispanics is a layered and welcomed anthology for horror fans to sink into.
