Mexican Christmas gets a terrifying makeover with new horror film

Mexico's traditionally festive Christmas season is set to be painted with terror this year by a new horror film, "Cuento siniestro." The movie, directed by Vadir Sottelo, transforms the holiday into a period of blood-chilling fear, deviating sharply from the usual celebration of lights, carols, and Nativity scenes.

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I wanted to make a film where Christmas wasn't necessarily the important thing, but the atmosphere, something like what happens in Gremlins in the 80s. Normally, these dates are associated with family unity and parties, but now we are putting a nightmare inside.

The film introduces a group of cursed, violent goblins who prey on their victims. The narrative centers on a young girl and her recently divorced mother who find their home life disrupted by the appearance of a sinister book about "The Little Drummer Boy" under their Christmas tree. This discovery unleashes a wave of fear.

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We know they are mischievous, aggressive, and territorial beings, and now we add the Little Drummer Boy, the carol to which we gave a dark moment, like a ritual that sets the rhythm of what happens.

Director Sottelo explained his intention was not to make Christmas the central theme, but rather the atmosphere, drawing inspiration from the 1980s hit "Gremlins." "Normally, you associate these dates with family unity and parties, but now we are putting a nightmare inside," he stated. The film incorporates Mexican legends and traditions, particularly the well-known figures of goblins, referred to locally as alushes or chaneques, described as mischievous, aggressive, and territorial beings.

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They will appear in the darkness, playing pranks, but they are really killers. They eat the chicken from dinner, they do things as if they were children and it's part of the atmosphere we try to have and can reach a young audience.

"Cuento siniestro" is notable for being the first Mexican film to depict a terrifying Christmas. While previous films like "Santa Claus" (1959) and "Pastorela" (2011) featured dark elements, they were not primarily genre horror. Sottelo's film pushes boundaries, including scenes of goblins consuming human flesh, though some of the most disturbing elements were later removed for broader audience appeal. The film utilizes both digital and practical effects, with 10 different goblin models created for the production.

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To show it to people of more ages, we show dismembered human bodies.