In the Latin American oral tradition there are plenty instances of fear and terror, and modern life has turned us all into great consumers of horror movies. According to author Marcella Ochoa, "despite the fact that Latinos make up more than 50 % of the box office in horror movies [in the United States], our stories were rarely reflected in those productions."

Until recently, in film production, and despite the fact that many times the stories told are part of our own myths and legends, the crews are not always made up of Latino directors or screenwriters. It often falls to outside eyes to tell our stories....

This October, the month of fear in the United States, for the first time, Latinos can see a rich and historical representation among the creators, producers, directors and actors in new releases of suspense and horror films.

From streaming platforms to movie theaters, there are featured horror productions not only written and acted by Latinos, but that also tell the reality of the community and mix denouncement with scares.

"The real monsters, the ones you really have to fear are among us," said Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, star of Madres, a Blumhouse Studios film that premiered earlier this month on Amazon Prime Video.

Madres is a story inspired by the scandal that was generated in 1975 when it was discovered that many migrant women were sterilized without their consent. Bingo Hell addresses the treatment of the elderly and discrimination against women, and focuses primarily on how immigrants are treated as they grow older. Both are part of Blumhouse's Amazon offerings. 

Meanwhile, Netflix's Nobody Gets Out Alive is another film that represents a radical change, as it not only stars Latino actors, but tells stories about Latinos written by Latinos. Starring Mexican Cristina Roddlo, it seeks to convey the emotions of a young undocumented girl who is trapped in a house.

This year also saw the premiere of The Forever Purge, starring Ana de la Reguera, which depicts racism disguised as terror exercised by masked men. This variety of stories that intermingle reality with horror fiction, put issues on the table to discuss and allow us to see reflected realities we could not find before.