A police raid uncovers a building full of dead bodies. Only one man who goes by the name ‘The Traveller’ (Efren Ramirez) is found alive. He is taken to the local police station for questioning, and so begins the first story in new anthology Satanic Hispanics. Working as both the first chapter and wrap-around story, Mike Mendez’s ‘The Traveller’ takes place during a police interrogation. Detectives Arden (Greg Grunberg) and Gibbons (Sonya Eddy) are seeking information about the massacre from the strange man in front of them. He quickly makes reports of the supernatural, and when neither detective believes him, he starts to back up his claims with a collection of stories.
Whilst some anthologies try to keep a similar tone or theme, the only thing connecting the stories told here is the storyteller. Tonally they are at odds with one another. The first, ‘Tambien Lo Vi’, offers a dark tale of connection to the world beyond. Rubik’s Cube obsessed Gustavo (Demian Salomon) has found a way to see those on the other side. It involves shining light in a certain pattern and whilst his experience starts innocuous enough, it quickly becomes something far more sinister. Directed by Demian Rugna, ‘Tambien Lo Vi’ provides the bulk of Satanic Hispanics’ frights.
Rather than lean into the eerie atmosphere created by Rugna, the next chapter, ‘El Vampiro’, goes for laughs. Set on Halloween night, it follows an ageing vampire (Hemky Madera) as he races home against daylight savings time. Along the way he must evade detection, something made easier thanks to the Halloween backdrop. The next story subsequently attempts a return to the scary side as Gigi Saul Guerrero’s ‘Nahules’ tells a story of a wrathful Mexican tribe. It’s a great segment full of Bruja’s and rituals. Sandwiched between this and the following section, ‘Hammer of Zanzibar’ Guerrero’s hard work gets lost amongst the humour. Alejandro Bruges ‘Hammer of Z’ is a ton of zany fun. It sees man and demon go toe-to-toe and features a rather creative weapon. There’s also a very catchy original song that will get the audience pumped.
The constant juxtaposition of atmospheric frights and heightened comedy make for a strange viewing experience. A journey through tones, Satanic Hispanics attempts to provide something for all tastes. Whilst it might succeed in those efforts, it struggles to work as a fully cohesive piece. Shifting from quiet chills to cheap gags takes some getting used to. As the funnier stories push hard, they end up eclipsing the more traditional horror in the other chapters. In a more similarly-toned anthology, these two segments would be stand-outs, but here they fall by the wayside with ‘El Vampiro’ and ‘Hammer of Zanzibar’ being the shining stars of this one. Sure to work well when watched amongst a crowd to get swept up with, in isolation Satanic Hispanics’ success rests on how easily you can adapt to its peculiar tonal structure.
Satanic Hispanics
Summary
A strange collection of stories that plays as a tonal roller-coaster of ups and downs, Satanic Hispanics has something for everyone.
Satanic Hispanics was reviewed at Fantastic Fest.
