19 Terrifying Spanish Horror Movies To Add To Your Watchlist This Halloween
by Jeremy Hayes · BuzzFeedWhether we're talking about Japanese ghost stories, Italian zombies, or Canadian slashers, international horror films are always a must on any horror fan's movie list. As someone who watches horror movies weekly, I must say that Spanish horror movies are slept on the most. They are intelligent, well-crafted, and, most importantly, terrifying as hell.
Here are 21 Spanish horror movies to haunt your Halloween season:
1. REC
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It feels only fitting to start with one of the most essential Spanish horror films, REC. Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, this found footage horror is one of the very best "jump scare fests" you will ever watch. Coming out a year before Cloverfield, it was a key piece of cinema to help revive found footage horror.
Plot: A reporter finds herself stuck inside a quarantined building where an infection spreads to those trapped inside.
This movie out of Spain has countless iconic moments, but the bloodier moments fly under the radar as some of the most gruesome of the 2000s.
2. Cuando acecha la maldad (When Evil Lurks)
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Argentine director Demián Rugna is one sick puppy, but he's also currently one of the best horror minds. One of his most recent gifts to horror fans was the supernatural horror When Evil Lurks.
Plot: Brothers discover a dead body is "Rotten," possessed by an unborn demon, and hell unleashes on all those who unlocked its evil.
The world-building is next level, and the way everything unfolds is unsettling. It grips you from the jump and doesn't let go. I can say this: You'll look at dogs differently for about a week.
3. Aterrados (Terrified)
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Speaking of Rugna, I'd argue Terrified might be his finest work. The 2017 supernatural film will make you thankful you don't live in a similar neighborhood.
Plot: Paranormal specialists investigate a neighborhood where unexplainable and terrifying occurrences are happening.
The film is chilling, has well-timed jump scares, and presents a concept that doesn't take itself too seriously. In short, it's bananas.
4. Verónica
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REC co-director Paco Plaza offers his take on possession films with Verónica.
Plot: An evil force haunts a teenage girl after she uses an Ouija board during an eclipse.
The film is loosely based on the real-life death of a girl who was dying after using an Ouija board during a seance. The imagery is superb and introduces a nun character who gets a film spinoff. Speaking of which...
5. Hermana Muerte (Sister Death)
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Based on the character by the same name in Verónica, Plaza returned to direct a prequel spinoff following the origins of Sister Death.
Plot: Paranormal experiences haunt a covenant of schoolgirls in 1940s Spain, and a miraculous teacher becomes entangled in a mystery.
It's a must-watch if you enjoyedVerónica. It has plenty of goosebump-worthy and grim moments. For a tie-in movie, it was pretty fun.
6. El orfanato (The Orphanage)
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This gothic horror film, released in 2007, will freak you out. It's directed by Spanish director J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and is quite a frightful directorial debut.
Plot: A mother is devastated when her son disappears in the orphanage where she was raised.
The "One, Two, Three" game sticks out and is masterfully done. As far as "creepy child in a mask" goes, this one ranks as one of the most memorable designs.
7. Mientras duermes (Sleep Tight)
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Spain gives us another really uncomfortable psychological thriller. Co-director of Rec, Jaume Balagueró, takes the helm of this 2011 film.
Plot: An apartment building superintendent terrorizes his tenants.
The film is disturbing and will be an unforgettable experience for those who have lived in an apartment.
8. El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)
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Ready for a run of Guillermo Del Toro films? Del Toro is a mastermind in the world of "weird," and his film, Pan's Labyrinth, is one for the ages.
Plot: In 1944 Spain, the stepdaughter of a cruel army officer finds refuge in a hidden fantasy world.
It's a pretty demented take on fairytales, but it's indeed a movie with a lot of soul. The supernatural scares might not be bountiful, but the Pale Man will send you running for your life.
9. Cronos (1993)
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If you loved Del Toro's biggest feature film, then it's only right that you check out his very first: Cronos (1993). This Mexican independent film is always a must-watch when discussing hidden horror gems.
Plot: Immortality is promised in a mysterious device that leaves a trail of blood in its path.
This Mexican film checks all the boxes of Del Toro's weirdness. If a wild Ron Pearlman performance is something that interests you, then this one is to die for.
10. El espinazo del diablo (The Devil's Backbone)
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Another del Toro jam, this one in the form of a spooky gothic horror.
Plot: In an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War, a boy is haunted by the ghost of a recently deceased boy.
There were many hidden horror gems in the early 2000s, and this film is arguably one of them. Del Toro's style spills off the screen like paint on a canvas.
11. Los ojos de Julia (Julia's Eyes)
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Produced by del Toro, Julia's Eyes is a horror you won't see coming. Directed by Guillem Morales, this psychological thriller will test your senses.
Plot: A woman who suffers from a degenerative disease believes the death of her blind sister is not self-inflicted.
The movie plays with the "sight" of horror and what the character can and can't sense. It'll have you screaming at the screen.
12. Voces (Don't Listen)
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Ángel Gómez Hernández directs an eerie supernatural horror that is as visually striking as it is scary.
Plot: A family moves into a home where they hear voices that lead to tragic events.
I ADORE this film. It's unsettling, and watching it started a marathon run of Spanish-made horror films. The anticipation of scares will have you squirming in your seat.
13. El hoyo (The Platform)
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Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia went all-out with the grotesque nature of horror. How much food would you eat off of a table, knowing hundreds more will need to eat after you?
Plot: A man finds himself on the lower floor of a prison, where a descending platform feeds all inmates, but everyone must take their fair share.
The film's themes are as subtle as its violent nature. It will make you feel claustrophobic, all while making your stomach turn.
14. Cerdita (Piggy)
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The year 2022 offered some heavy hitters in horror, but Carlota Pereda's Piggy really deserved more attention.
Plot: A bullied, overweight teen becomes entangled in a life-changing happening.
Another one of those where the less you know the better. It's a daring project and Laura Galán kills it as Sara, the lead.
15. Vuelven (Tigers Are Not Afraid)
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Director Issa López really gave Pan's Labyrinth a run for its money in terms of themes and drawing from fairy tale elements.
Plot: A gang of children fight to survive violent cartels and the ghosts they create.
It's a difficult watch, but it might have the most heart of any movie on this list. Accept that it isn't a horror filled with jump-scares and consume it as it is: a terrifying artistic vision.
16. La Llorona (2019)
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It's not the US movie of a similar name, but Jayro Bustamante's Guatemalan horror film tackles the weeping woman and is viewed as the superior version.
Plot: A war criminal's past haunts him and unleashes the terrors of a weeping woman.
This version of the weeping woman feels closer to home and offers plenty of scares throughout.
17. La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In)
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This Spanish horror film by Pedro Almodóvar is more of a thriller than a horror, but the premise alone is horrifying enough.
Plot: A surgeon creates a synthetic skin that can withstand damage, but his obsession involves a female test subject.
It's not a jump-scare-heavy film, but it's pretty scary. If that didn't pull you in, at least tune in for some Antonio Banderas.
18. El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast)
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Maybe the goofiest entry on this list, this black comedy has become a cult classic for the holiday season. Directed by Álex de la Iglesia, this 1995 classic isn't like other priest films.
Plot: A Catholic priest must commit as many sins as possible to stop the birth of an unholy beast.
Why watch it? You might need something a little sillier as a palette cleanser, so why not give in to some Black metal?
19. Los otros (The Others)
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Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar casually dropped a psychological horror in 2001 that would haunt a generation of young movie-goers.
Plot: A woman and her two photosensitive children have paranormal experiences inside the walls of a vast manor.
This film is excellent. If you know nothing about it, go into it that way, and I promise it will take your breath away. It's a slow burn with visuals that contend with any other ghost story.