Best Spanish-Language Horror Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Hot off our guide to the 100 Essential Spanish-Language Movies, we’re galloping into the night for all things spooky en Español!

Here you’ll find only the Freshest scary selections from Mexico (Cronos), Spain (The Orphanage), Uruguay (The Silent House), Chile (The Wolf House), and Argentina (Cold Sweat). Inside each film, an underworld teeming with our favorite monsters. Zombies in [rec]! Mad scientists in The Skin I Live In! Vampires in Dracula! (Yep, there was another version to the Universal classic.) Creepy kids in The Orphanage! And In the Devil’s Backbone, maybe something beyond…

We gathered virtually every Spanish-language horror movie we could find, separating the Fresh and Certified Fresh, but also including the Rotten because, hey, that’s part of the fun with scary flicks! If you’re wondering about the decided lack of chucapbras and La Llarona on this list, it’s because there hasn’t been a critically-noted movie made yet. Though KM 31 comes closest with its take on Mexican folklore.

So quit your Bitching and get to Witching with our guide of the Best Spanish-Language Horror Movies by Tomatometer!

#35

Return of the Blind Dead (El Ataque de los muertos sin ojos) (Return of the Evil Dead) (1972)
25%

#35

Adjusted Score: 25.19%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The satanic Templars return for more bloodletting and mayhem in this sequel to Tombs of the Blind Dead. This time... [More]

Starring: Tony Kendall, Frank Blake, Esperanza Roy, Lone Fleming

Directed By: Amando de Ossorio

#34

Kidnapped (2011)
44%

#34

Adjusted Score: 38.485%

Critics Consensus: Technically impressive yet narratively repellent, the unremittingly grim and violent Kidnapped will prove difficult for many viewers to take.

Synopsis: Jaime, Marta and their daughter Isabel, a well-off family, move to a luxurious new house. The parents are going through... [More]

Starring: Fernando Cayo, Manuela Vellés, Ana Wagener, Guillermo Barrientos

Directed By: Miguel Ángel Vivas

#33

[REC] 3 Genesis (2012)
40%

#33

Adjusted Score: 40.922%

Critics Consensus: [REC] 3 Genesis discards the handheld POV of its predecessors and loses the franchise's fresh perspective in the bargain, upping the gags and gore to the detriment of the chills that audiences crave.

Synopsis: Koldo and Clara are about to celebrate the most important day of their lives: their wedding. Everything appears to be... [More]

Starring: Leticia Dolera, Diego Martín, Ismael Mello Martinez, Àlex Monner

Directed By: Paco Plaza

#32

Here Comes the Devil (2013)
46%

#32

Adjusted Score: 46.108%

Critics Consensus: The power of Here Comes the Devil's atmospheric dread compels, but the plot and mystery are too muddled to leave a lasting impression.

Synopsis: HERE COMES THE DEVIL combines modern indie filmmaking and storytelling with a hint of '70s-styled psychological horror that may not... [More]

Starring: Francisco Barreiro, Laura Caro, Laura Caro, Michèle Garcia

Directed By: Adrian García Bogliano

#31

Marrowbone (2018)
47%

#31

Adjusted Score: 49.374%

Critics Consensus: Marrowbone's effective setting and strong cast can't make up for thinly conceived characters and a story short on genuine scares.

Synopsis: Four siblings seek refuge in an old home after the death of their mother, only to discover that the house... [More]

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, George MacKay, Mia Goth, Charlie Heaton

Directed By: Sergio G. Sánchez

#30

Atrocious (2011)
56%

#30

Adjusted Score: 35.266%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Atrocious is a gruesome, mind-bending thriller shot in a style reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. The horror film excerpts... [More]

Starring: Cristian Valencia, Clara Moraleda, Maria Jesus Pereiro

Directed By: Fernando Luna

#29

Km 31 (2006)
57%

#29

Adjusted Score: 31.058%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Mexican folklore melds with J-horror elements and the brooding atmospherics of Spanish horror specialist Jaume Balaguero in director Rigoberto Castaneda's... [More]

Starring: Adrià Collado, Iliana Fox, Raúl Méndez, Julián Álvarez

Directed By: Rigoberto Castañeda

#28

In a Glass Cage (Tras el cristal) (1989)
67%

#28

Adjusted Score: 54.711%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Stylistically compelling, morally ambiguous, and profoundly unsettling, this Spanish psychodrama from writer-director Agustin Villaronga stands beside Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salo... [More]

Starring: Günter Meisner, David Sust, Marisa Paredes, Gisela Echevarria

Directed By: Agustí Villaronga

#27

Tombs Of The Blind Dead (Noche del terror ciego) (1972)
67%

#27

Adjusted Score: 67.339%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In 1971, director Amando de Ossorio created what horror fans worldwide consider to be Spain's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.... [More]

Starring: Lone Fleming, Cesar Burner, Maria Elena Arpon, Joseph Thelman

Directed By: Amando de Ossorio

#26

The Silent House (2011)
68%

#26

Adjusted Score: 66.614%

Critics Consensus: Shot in a single take, The Silent House may be a gimmick movie, but it's one that's enough to sustain dread and tension throughout.

Synopsis: Laura and her father Wilson settle down in an old farmhouse to make some repairs and update it prior to... [More]

Starring: Florencia Colucci, Abel Tripaldi, Gustavo Fabián Alonso, Maria Paz Salazar

Directed By: Gustavo Hernández

#25

[REC] 4: Apocalypse (2015)
68%

#25

Adjusted Score: 62.814%

Critics Consensus: After a lackluster third entry, [REC] 4 gets the series back on track, at least to the level of the first sequel.

Synopsis: Angela Vidal wakes up in a high-security quarantine facility, sole survivor and witness to the horrific events inside the building.... [More]

Starring: Manuela Velasco, Paco Manzanedo, Héctor Colomé, Ismael Fritschi

Directed By: Jaume Balagueró

#24

[Rec] 2 (2010)
68%

#24

Adjusted Score: 69.443%

Critics Consensus: It lacks the surprising jolt of the first installment, but [REC] 2 almost maintains the original's chilling momentum -- and proves not all horror sequels were made equal.

Synopsis: The highly anticipated sequel to one of the scariest films of all time, "[REC] 2" picks up 15 minutes from... [More]

Starring: Jonathan Mellor, Oscar Sanchez Zafra, Ariel Casas, Alejandro Casaseca

Directed By: Paca Plaza, Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza

#23

We Are What We Are (2011)
72%

#23

Adjusted Score: 72.644%

Critics Consensus: We Are What We Are is elevated horror that combines family drama and social politics, with plenty of gore on top.

Synopsis: A middle-aged man dies in the street, leaving his widow and three children destitute. The devastated family is confronted not... [More]

Starring: Francisco Barreiro, Paulina Gaitan, Carmen Beato, Alan Chávez

Directed By: Jorge Michel Grau, Jorge Grau

#22

Cold Sweat (Sudor frío) (2011)
75%

#22

Adjusted Score: 31.488%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A man eager to make amends with his ex-girlfriend stumbles upon a bizarre torture cult in this thriller from Argentinean... [More]

Starring: Facundo Espinosa, Facunda Espinosa, Marina Glezer, Camila Velasco

Directed By: Adrian García Bogliano

#21

Verónica (2017)
75%

#21

Adjusted Score: 27.447%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A psychologist has already stopped attending her practice for some time. But when a rather unusual case comes up, the... [More]

Starring: Arcelia Ramirez, Olga Segura, Sofía Garza

Directed By: Carlos Algara, Alejandro Martínez Beltrán

#20

El Día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast) (1999)
75%

#20

Adjusted Score: 46.289%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Spanish filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia followed his outlandish sci-fi/horror debut, Accion Mutante, with this colorful apocalypse fantasy about Father... [More]

Starring: Álex Angulo, Armando De Razza, Santiago Segura, Terele Pavez

Directed By: Álex de la Iglesia

#19

We Are the Flesh (Tenemos la carne) (2017)
74%

#19

Adjusted Score: 75.104%

Critics Consensus: Visually striking and aggressively confrontational, We are the Flesh may prove as difficult to watch as it ultimately is to forget.

Synopsis: After the end of the world, a young brother and sister roam an apocalyptic city looking for food and shelter.... [More]

Starring: Noe Hernández, María Evoli, Diego Gamaliel, María Cid

Directed By: Emiliano Rocha Minter

#18

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (El herrero y el diablo) (2018)
78%

#18

Adjusted Score: 32.895%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A re-telling of an old Spanish tale by director Paul Urkijo Alijo centers around Patxi, a blacksmith with a secret... [More]

Starring: Kandido Uranga, Eneko Sagardoy, Gorka Aguinagalde, Ramón Aguirre

Directed By: Paul Urkijo Alijo

#17

Juan of the Dead (2012)
82%

#17

Adjusted Score: 73.775%

Critics Consensus: Filled with wild splatter slapstick, Juan of the Dead also deftly uses its zombie premise as an undead Trojan horse for insightful political commentary.

Synopsis: Juan is 40 years old, most of which he spent in Cuba doing absolutely nothing. Juan's only emotional tie is... [More]

Starring: Alexis Días de Villegas, Alexis Diaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro

Directed By: Alejandro Brugués

#16

The Skin I Live In (2011)
81%

#16

Adjusted Score: 86.158%

Critics Consensus: The Skin I Live In lacks Almodovar's famously charged romance, replaced with a wonderfully bizarre and unpredictable detour into arthouse ick.

Synopsis: Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard, an eminent plastic surgeon, has been interested... [More]

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Marisa Paredes, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet

Directed By: Pedro Almodóvar

#15

Thesis (1996)
83%

#15

Adjusted Score: 67.245%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this suspenseful Spanish thriller, a film student's curiosity over an accidentally discovered "snuff film" places her in mortal danger.... [More]

Starring: Eduardo Noriega, Ana Torrent, Xabier Elorriaga, Miguel Picazo

Directed By: Alejandro Amenábar

#14

Witching and Bitching (2014)
86%

#14

Adjusted Score: 86.259%

Critics Consensus: Dark, nasty, and delightfully subversive, Witching and Bitching is gross-out genre fun with a heaping helping of warped comedy for good measure.

Synopsis: When your marriage has you on the brink and your bank account in red, it's time to rob a Cash-for-Gold... [More]

Starring: Hugo Silva (III) , Mario Casas, Pepón Nieto, Carolina Bang

Directed By: Álex de la Iglesia

#13

The Untamed (La región salvaje) (2017)
86%

#13

Adjusted Score: 88.339%

Critics Consensus: The Untamed attempts some ambitious tonal juggling between fantastical and disturbing -- and draws viewers in with its slippery, inexorable pull.

Synopsis: Alejandra is a young mother and housewife who raises her children with her husband Angel in a small town. His... [More]

Starring: Ruth Ramos, Simone Bucio, Jesús Meza, Edén Villavicencio

Directed By: Amat Escalante

#12

The Orphanage (2007)
87%

#12

Adjusted Score: 92.747%

Critics Consensus: Deeply unnerving and surprisingly poignant, The Orphanage is an atmospheric, beautifully crafted haunted house horror film that earns scares with a minimum of blood.

Synopsis: Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro produces director Juan Antonio Bayona's gothic frightener about a long-abandoned orphanage with a particularly... [More]

Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera

Directed By: J.A. Bayona

#11

[Rec] (2007)
89%

#11

Adjusted Score: 89.41%

Critics Consensus: Plunging viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment complex under siege, [Rec] proves that found footage can still be used as an effective delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.

Synopsis: After teaming up in 2002 for the dramatic music documentary OT: The Movie, Spanish horror specialists Jaume Balagueró (Darkness) and... [More]

Starring: Manuela Velasco, Pablo Rosso, Martha Carbonell, Jorge-Yamam Serrano

Directed By: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza

#10

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes) (2007)
89%

#10

Adjusted Score: 90.706%

Critics Consensus: Timecrimes is a low-budget thriller that's well-crafted and loaded with dark humor and bizarre twists.

Synopsis: An ordinary guy takes an extraordinary step through time in this science fiction thriller. Hector (Karra Elejalde) is spending a... [More]

Starring: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Nacho Vigalondo, Bárbara Goenaga

Directed By: Nacho Vigalondo

#9

Los ojos de Julia (Julia's Eyes) (2010)
90%

#9

Adjusted Score: 90.357%

Critics Consensus: Smart, suspenseful, and visually distinctive, Julia's Eyes marks another modern Spanish thriller that quickens the pulse while engaging the mind.

Synopsis: A woman is trying to unravel a mystery that she literally can no longer see in this thriller from Spanish... [More]

Starring: Belén Rueda, Lluis Homar, Pablo Derqui, Francesc Orella

Directed By: Guillem Morales

#8

Cronos (1994)
90%

#8

Adjusted Score: 92.983%

Critics Consensus: Guillermo del Toro's unique feature debut is not only gory and stylish, but also charming and intelligent.

Synopsis: This surreal variant on the classic vampire tale is the directorial debut of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who garnered... [More]

Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#7

Sleep Tight (2012)
91%

#7

Adjusted Score: 91.431%

Critics Consensus: The strong lead performance, clever plot turns, and the unsettling ending makes Sleep Tight worth stalking.

Synopsis: Toiling silently amongst the residents of an everyday Barcelona apartment building, doorman Cesar (Luis Tosar) harbors a dark secret: his... [More]

Starring: Luis Tosar, Marta Etura, Alberto San Juan, Pep Tosar

Directed By: Jaume Balagueró

#6

The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del diablo) (2001)
92%

#6

Adjusted Score: 95.576%

Critics Consensus: Creepily atmospheric and haunting, The Devil's Backbone is both a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory.

Synopsis: The mournful fable of the Santa Lucia School during the last days of the Spanish Civil War. An imposing stone... [More]

Starring: Eduardo Noriega, Marisa Paredes, Fernando Tielve, Federico Luppi

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#5

Musarañas (Shrew's Nest) (2014)
94%

#5

Adjusted Score: 65.279%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Directors Juanfer Andres and Esteban Roel team-up for this suspenseful thriller set in 1950s Spain, where simmering tensions between a... [More]

Starring: Luis Tosar, Hugo Silva (III) , Carolina Bang, Macarena Gomez

Directed By: Juanfer Andrés, Esteban Roel

#4

The Similars (Los Parecidos) (2016)
95%

#4

Adjusted Score: 81.016%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: On the rainy night of October 2, 1968, eight people waiting in a remote bus station for a bus heading... [More]

Starring: Gustavo Sanchez Parra, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Fernando Becerril, Humberto Busto

Directed By: Isaac Ezban

#3

Tigers Are Not Afraid (Vuelven) (2019)
97%

#3

Adjusted Score: 101.287%

Critics Consensus: Tigers Are Not Afraid draws on childhood trauma for a story that deftly blends magical fantasy and hard-hitting realism - and leaves a lingering impact.

Synopsis: A haunting horror fairytale set against the backdrop of Mexico's devastating drug wars, TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID follows a group... [More]

Starring: Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López (II) , Hanssel Casillas, Rodrigo Cortes (II)

Directed By: Issa López

#2

The Wolf House (La casa lobo) (2018)
98%

#2

Adjusted Score: 98.874%

Critics Consensus: Surreal, unsettling, and finally haunting, The Wolf House is a stunning outpouring of creativity whose striking visuals queasily complement its disturbing story.

Synopsis: Maria, a young woman finds refuge in a house in the south of Chile after escaping from a sect of... [More]

Starring: Amalia Kassai, Rainer Krause

Directed By: Joaquín Cociña, Cristóbal León

#1

Drácula (Dracula, Spanish Version) (1931)
100%

#1

Adjusted Score: 100.037%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The grisly doings of Bram Stoker's vampire count are featured here as he ventures from his native Transylvania to England... [More]

Starring: Carlos Villarías, Carlos Villar, Lupita Tovar, Eduardo Arozamena

Directed By: George Melford