Huesera: The Bone Woman might not be the scariest film horror fans would see, but it does strike at the heart of the scary experience of motherhood. Through eerie sounds of breaking bones and weirdly contorted hands at the edge of beds, the film depicts new mother Valeria being haunted by the titular spirit, despite her prayer to the Virgin Mary. Valeria pleads for her husband and family to listen, though each time she does becomes proof of her faults as a mother. The terror in newcomer Natalia Solián’s face makes it all feel believable, but it’s the folk-inspired imagery of first-time feature director Michelle Garza Cervera that turns this film into a feminist masterpiece.

This slow burn horror might not be for everyone, but each scene is carefully selected, meticulously framed, and captures a visceral experience. Valeria isn’t just babyproofing and packing away her power tools– she’s transforming her craft room into a nursery. When Valeria is the only one who hears someone at the door, it’s a few minutes too late until her husband bothers to respond. Each time she experiences something scary, everyone around her dismisses it as something else. Each moment, realistic or supernatural, has its own fear factor, but the underlying implications of each moment are far scarier than the moment itself.