2023 Movie
Dir. Michelle Garza Cervera · Mexico, Peru · Spanish
A well-crafted bone-breaking body horror inspired by the titular Mexican folk legend
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.
Valeria's joy at becoming a first-time mother is quickly taken away when she's cursed by a sinister entity. As danger closes in, she's forced deeper into a chilling world of dark magic that threatens to consume her.
"[Huesera] accomplishes a lofty goal for genre cinema: Taking a familiar formula and turning it into a personal statement."
— Katie Rife
"Huesera is at times spine-chillingly terrifying."
— Manuel Betancourt
After praying for a baby, Valeria Hernandez and her husband rejoice when they receive good news from her doctor. However, a sinister supernatural entity threaten their newborn happiness.
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.
Now adding bones breaking to my list of phobias. Thanks!
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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