Spanish cinema is a different kind of beast, to say the least.
And in the past decade, reams and reams of incredibly capable directors have emerged
into contemporary cinema, laced with that mystical romanticism of the Spanish language
and their wholly original eye of looking at horror through layers of perplexing beauty.
Many of them followed in the footsteps of the titan of fantasy and horror cinema, Guillermo
del Toro - but before them, their craft was honed with the wonderfully bizarre Spanish
horror movies that paved their way.
So, without further delay - let’s take a look, shall we?
Hello horror fans, what’s going on - and once again welcome back to the scariest channel
on YouTube - Top 5 Scary Videos.
As per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch - as today, we curiously take a look
at the Top 5 Scariest Spanish Horror Movies.
And just like the inquisition, nobody expects it.
Roll the clip.
For the curious amongst you, that clip was of course - from the 2007 Spanish horror movie,
The Orphanage - directed by J.A Bayona, and produced by Guillermo del Toro himself - and
it leads us to an important point - because, well, we’ve already covered The Orphanage
quite a lot - so that’s off the table, and we’ve also covered the boy Guillermo in
more horror lists than you can shake a stick at - so don’t worry, because like always
- I’ll be keeping things fresh.
Kicking off at Number 5 - Timecrimes, 2007
And boy - what a way to kick off this list, because for those of you that haven’t seen
it, Timecrimes is one of the strangest, most bizarre, horrifying - and wholeheartedly enjoyable
blends of science fiction, horror and straight up psychological despair.
It’s brilliant, and I don’t say that lightly.
Also known as Los Cronocrimenes in its native tongue, Timecrimes, released back in 2007
- was written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo in his debut feature film - and he even stars
in it - as The Scientist, a man who only delivers more questions than answers.
This film with absolutely made with love and care - and it has a sense of true character
and originality that bleeds throughout, like a bloody faced doppelganger with a head full
of bandages.
I really don’t want to spoil this film - perhaps more than any film that I’ve ever told you
about - but Timecrimes has more twists and turns than a hedgerow maze, and just when
you think you’ve worked it out - the whole thing unravels and re-coils itself all over
again, wrapping itself up in a mystery that goes from a nice, quiet day out in the countryside
- to one of the bleakest, most existential questions of all time.
It tells the tale of a man named Hector and his wife Clara, out in their newly renovated
rural home in the Spanish countryside - while his wife is out shopping, Hector spies a strange
woman lying unconscious in the woods - and with that, we’re off.
Seriously, this film takes about 10 minutes to set itself up - then it’s off like a
theoretical bullet train.
Timecrimes is brilliant, give it a watch.
Coming in at Number 4 - Witching and Bitching, 2013
Now, this film is absolutely insane - and I mean that in a good way, because when I
say insane - I mean a coven of cannibalistic witches in the Basque country having a dinner
party and all their friends are invited.
I told you guys, never piss off a witch.
And while this film definitely hits the mark when it comes to gross-outs and gore - it’s
perhaps the most genre-friendly entry on this list, as Witching and Bitching isn’t a horror
film in the conventional sense - but it’s more of a film *made* for horror fans - and
if you go into it with that mentality, then I assure you, there’s a lot to be enjoyed
with this awesomely original film.
Also released in Spanish as The Witches of Zugarramurdi, it was written and directed
by Alex de la Iglesia - and like most international horror movies, it never really received the
true credit it deserved.
And that sucks - because Witching and Bitching exemplifies Spanish cinema in its originality.
It’s weird in all the right places - in ways only Spanish cinema can be - with it’s
dry, dead-pan, gallows sense of humour - it’s incredible visual effects, it’s breathtaking
cinematography - and it’s real, love and care to give a pastiche nod to the horror
genre and everything that came before it.
The thing is, Spanish cinema rarely has any pretense - and it rarely takes itself seriously
at all - and that’s probably what makes Witching and Bitching so good.
On the surface, it sounds insane - and it is - but the craft and care put into the very
bones of this film, like with many films in Spanish cinema, is exactly why it’s worth
watching.
Remember, don’t piss of a witch - because this is probably what will happen.
Next up at Number 3 - Fermat’s Room, 2009
And some people may not agree with the placement of this entry - but I say be damned, because
for me - Fermat’s Room is *perhaps* - one of the best one-room movies ever made, and
yeah, I’ll include Saw in that as well.
Listen, again - this film isn’t just a straight up horrifying terror of a movie - there’s
no spectors or demons, none of the paranormal or the supernatural.
It’s very much a human thriller, with a very simple premise.
Four mathematicians locked in a room - with one puzzle to solve.
Survival.
Co-written and co-directed by Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopena - and released back in
2007 - Fermat’s Room is a horror thrill-ride that will keep you guessing from moment to
moment, with all the styles and trappings on an old Agatha Christie novel.
But if you’re going into this movie expecting a standard murder mystery - you’ll be in
for a treat - of a completely different manner.
Fermat’s Room tells the tale of four mathematicians invited to an abandoned warehouse with the
promise of having the opportunity to solve the greatest mathematical enigma in human
history.
Inside, they are greeted by a mysterious old stranger using the alias Fermat - and after
a courteous dinner and a few intellectual debates - that’s when things get a little
more intimate, to say the least.
I won’t say any more - because this film is worth watching just for the suspense - but
yeah, Fermat’s Room.
Give it a watch.
Swinging in at Number 2 - The Skin I Live In, 2011
Well.
Holy moly.
Where do I even begin?
In fact, what do I even say about The Skin I Live In - the film considered by many to
be one of the most impactful and bone-chilling psychological horrors in foreign language
cinema.
And in all reality, this film is a horror movie without any screams and frights - there
are no jumpscares, there are no ghosts of the past.
The Skin I Live In is cold - and it’s calculated - and it’s the barebones, tell all tale
of a truth psychopath.
And most importantly, just like with the majority of Spanish language horror, it’s an incredibly
unique take on the genre.
Written and directed by the legendary Pedro Almodovar, the man responsible for some of
the greatest movies in foreign cinema - The Skin I Live In stars Antonio Banderas in perhaps
one of his best roles on screen, as Robert Ledgard, a brilliant plastic surgeon with
a particular eye for torment.
Based on the French novel Mygale - also known as Tarantula in English, written by Thierry
Jonquet - The Skin I Live In tells the tale of Dr. Ledgard, a renowned plastic surgeon
responsible for creating a groundbreaking artificial skin after years of research - but
who is later thrown out of the medical field for his illegal experiments on humans - forbidden
to continue his research.
As we all know though, as is the case with insane scientists - that doesn’t put an
end to Ledgard’s propensity for changing and morphing the skin that we all live in.
I won’t say any more - because honestly, this film will make your jaw fall to the floor
- and with reveal after reveal, you’ll be questioning how many more layers Almodovar
can strip from the carcass.
It’s a fantastic horror movie - regardless of its placement in international cinema - and
it’s a must see for any fan of horror cinema.
Also, this film is hella messed up.
Like, really messed up.
And finally - coming in at our Number 1 spot - Julia’s Eyes, 2010
And hey - I know I said I wouldn’t put Guillermo anywhere on this list, but come on - he only
produced this movie - and that doesn’t detract from the fact that Julia’s Eyes is a downright
incredible entry into the hallowed halls of horror cinema, and may perhaps be one of the
greatest horror movies of the last decade.
This film is fantastic, and it doesn’t get the credit that it truly deserves - because
if you came here looking for horror, Julia’s Eyes will deliver it in spades.
Written and directed by the lesser known Guillem Morales - Julia’s Eyes literally came out
of nowhere, but as Guillermo del Toro tends to do - he saw a fantastic horror premise,
gave it his stamp of approval - and we’re all the better off for it.
Julia’s Eyes tells the tale of a blind woman named Julia, played by the awesome Belen Rueda
- whose character is afflicted by a degenerative disease that is slowly consuming her vision.
Strangely enough, Julia’s twin sister Sara is in the later stages of the disease - and
as the film opens she takes her own life.
What slowly plays out is an atmospheric tale of paranoia, lies and deceit - and what makes
Julia’s Eyes so damn successful as a horror movie, is that it employs a strange, intrinsic
sense of mistrust - where even we as an audience aren’t sure whether to believe what we’re
seeing - or worser still, not seeing.
Similar to the vein of Mike Flanagan’s Hush, Julia’s Eyes relies on its ability to subvert
our senses - challenging us as an audience to question our own perception - and it is
incredibly successful in that approach.
For all it’s moving parts, Julia’s Eyes is a horror film in the truest sense of the
world - reminiscent of Hitchcock, but also spattered with shades of Tobe Hooper and John
Carpenter - but more importantly, it is very much a Spanish - horror - movie.
And it’s one of the best.
Well, there we have it horror fans - my list for the Top 5 Scariest Spanish Horror Movies.
What did you guys think?
Do you agree?
Think you could add some more?
Well - you know what to do, let us know your thoughts as well as any choice picks down
in the comment section below.
Before we depart from today’s video though - let’s first take a quick look at some
of your more resounding remarks from over the past few days.
First up, in relation to our British Horror Movies List - Catie Liz says --
-- The Wicker Man….
I just don’t get it.
It’s so overrated in my opinion.
--- Oh.
Well, that’s weird - looks like we don’t have any comments for this week.
Hm.
Well, I guess that’s that then.
I’m just kidding Catie Liz - hey, different strokes for different folks though - if we
were all fans of the exact same thing, wouldn’t life be boring?
Well, on that note horror fans - cheers for sticking around all the way until the end.
If you were a fan of this video, or just top 5 Scary videos in general - then please, be
a dear and hit that thumbs up button - as well as that subscribe bell, and I’ll be
seeing you in the next one.
As per usual, I’ve been your horror host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5
Scary Videos - and until next time, you take it easy.