Until recent years, Spain has often been overlooked when it comes to horror in favor of its close neighbor’s iconic legacy; The immense popularity of the Italian Giallo. Not only has Spanish horror brought us some of the biggest scares of the last decade, but after digging a little deeper, one will find that Spain has undoubtedly gifted us some of the best horror stories of the last 50 years. From frightfully funny, to downright weird, and everything in between, the films on this list are guaranteed to claw their way into your favorites.

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Verónica

Girl sitting in class in school in Veronica
Image Via Netflix

This film is as aesthetically gorgeous as it is devastating. Inspired by the true story of Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro’s mysterious death in 1991, Paco Plaza’s Verónica (2017) dramatizes the events that occur in a teenage girl’s life after an incident with a Ouija board. After the death of her father, Verónica (Sandra Escacena) and her friends decide to try to contact him while at school during a solar eclipse. It doesn’t take long before things quickly go awry and Verónica passes out with no recollection of what happened.

This isn’t just your run-of-the-mill possession story, though. At its core, the film is about a young girl who is forced to grow up way too fast. Instead of having time to be a worry-free teenager, Verónica takes care of her three younger siblings while her mom works full-time to support the family. Just imagine having to deal with a haunting terrorizing you and your siblings with no adult to reliably turn to. All while making sure breakfast, lunch, and dinner are on the table. If the fear doesn’t get to you, the tears sure will.

[REC]

REC (2007)

Yet another Paco Plaza film manages to make this list, and rightfully so. 2007's [REC] is undoubtedly one of the best found footage movies ever released. It truly has everything you could want in a found footage fright and more. Unlike a lot of other films in this subgenre of horror, it is an absolute masterclass in never breaking the illusion of found footage. The apartment building setting is wonderfully claustrophobic, its character development is top-tier, and the pacing truly transports you to the chaotic events unfolding in the middle of Barcelona.

The film follows two reporters who are covering what it’s like to work night shifts as a firefighter. While documenting their findings, the station receives a call about an old woman in distress. The two reporters, eager to go on a ride along, accompany the firefighters to an apartment building where things very quickly go south. Soon enough, everyone in the building is quarantined inside by government officials. With no information and even fewer questions answered, the group is forced to try to survive the mysterious circumstances surrounding the building. This film spawned three sequels and one American remake that all pale in comparison to this gem, but are worth checking out if you can’t get enough of the film’s unique lore.

Piggy (Cerdita)

Laura Galán in Piggy
Image via Filmax

This 2022 film is the long-awaited expansion of the 2019 short film of the same name. While the original is brilliant on its own and definitely worth a watch as there are a few key differences between the two, Carlota Martínez-Pereda’s update on her original short largely expands upon Sara’s (Laura Galán) home life. It really hones in on the sheer amount of emotion at the core of its story. Not only is the acting in this film top-notch, but the cinematography is stunning.

Piggy is about a teenager named Sara who is bullied by her peers. It comes to a head when the wrong (or, maybe, the right) person happens to witness them torment her while at the pool. Sara witnesses him kidnapping her bullies and resolves to not tell anyone about what she saw. What follows is the development of an interesting relationship between Sara and the serial killer's odd way of showing affection for her. It’s an incredibly fresh take on slashers and forces the audience to question how much they would be willing to overlook if the only person who ever showed them kindness was a ruthless killer.

Witching & Bitching (Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi)

Witching and Bitching
Image Via Universal Pictures

Now, this is one hell of a fun movie. As also shown with the next film on this list, Álex de la Iglesia has an incredible knack for giving his audiences well-paced and witty films that still manage to give us the heebie-jeebies. Though the English language title is laughably bad, this is a great flick that is sure to satisfy both horror fans and scaredy cats alike.

Witching & Bitching (2013) is a unique witch film that starts with a heist and the consequences that follow the men once they’re forced to hide out in a town full of witches. Aside from a couple of special effects flubs that don’t quite land, the film manages to never be boring. I mean, you have a guy dressed as Jesus dripped in gold with a shotgun in his hands. What more could you want? Fans of films like Shaun of the Dead and What We Do in the Shadows are sure to adore this criminally underrated flick.

The Day of the Beast (El Día de la Bestia)

The Devil from the climax of 1995 Spanish-Italian film 'The Day of the Beast'

As promised, we have yet another fantastic Álex de la Iglesia film to cover. This time, the story involves a ragtag team that consists of a priest, a metalhead, and a scammer. Together, they attempt to prevent the birth of the Antichrist as hilarity ensues. Though horror comedies often get a lot of flack from some purists, some of the best horror films in history include comedic elements either purposefully or unintentionally. The two genres are more closely related than a lot of folks think and play off of each other incredibly well.

There’s a reason The Day of the Beast has become such a cult classic since its release in 1995. Not only is it genius at poking fun at the irony of a priest having to sin in order to save the world, but the ways in which the main characters riff off of each other are super satisfying. It's a great film to throw on during the holiday season and it manages to get even better with subsequent watches. You may find yourself with a new yearly tradition after checking out this one.

Julia’s Eyes (Los Ojos de Julia)

Belen Reuda as Julia in 'Julia's Eyes'

You could cut the tension in this 2010 film with a knife. With its countless twists and turns, your heart is sure to be right at home in your throat for the near entirety of its nearly two-hour run time. Belén Rueda, the lead actress, does a great job carrying this gargantuan film on her shoulders. This shouldn’t be surprising, though, considering her outstanding work a couple of years prior in yet another iconic Spanish film: The Orphanage.

Julia’s Eyes follows the titular character after she learns of her sister’s death. Over the course of the film, she works to try and figure out the circumstances surrounding her sister’s suicide all while slowly losing her sight due to a degenerative eye disorder. This is a great film for fans of whodunits, and it is chock-full of memorable scenes that are sure to stick with you for a couple of days afterward. The ending also comes as a complete shock.

Pan’s Labyrinth

The Pale Man with his eyes up in 'Pan's Labyrinth.'
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Guillermo Del Toro certainly has a great talent for bringing truly horrifying fairy tales to life. Not only is this film absolutely devastating, but it also features haunting creatures brought to life by the extremely talented VFX team and Del Toro’s frequent collaborator, Doug Jones. The Pale Man has totally dominated the nightmares of viewers since its release 17 years ago.

The horror of this film doesn’t only lie in its macabre approach to an Alice in Wonderland-type tale. In true Del Toro fashion, it’s the real world and the humans who occupy it that are the true monsters. The film takes place during World War II and tells the story of a group of Spanish soldiers led by a depraved power-hungry captain. Accompanying them are his wife and stepdaughter, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero). After unfortunately witnessing the captain’s cruelty, Ofelia ventures into the fantastical Pan’s Labyrinth to escape his ire. This film is legendary both in and out of Spain for good reason. You truly have to experience it to believe it.

Thesis (Tesis)

thesis-1996
Image Via Universal Pictures

University students, beware. You’re in for a scare with 1996's Thesis. As if Ph.D. students aren’t already stressed out enough, our main character stumbles upon a snuff film as she works on her thesis. Despite the film’s sensitive themes surrounding the question of extreme violence, it manages to still be a pretty safe watch for horror fans who aren’t too fond of gore.

Rather than making a spectacle of the violence central to the film’s plot, it chooses to emphasize the skin-crawling dread as Angela (Ana Torrent) slowly becomes entangled in a world she wasn’t prepared for. Similar to other films like David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, the film asks us to interrogate our voyeuristic relationship with seeking representations of intense violence in the media. For a debut film, Alejandro Amenábar certainly knocked it out of the park. He even managed to do it again not too long after with the success of 2001’s The Others.

Rapture (Arrebato, 1979)

Rapture 1979 Horror Movie
Image Via Framax Films

Undoubtedly the most thematically out-there film on this list, fans of the slow-burn psychological horror films A24 is well-known for will definitely want to check this one out. Rapture (1979) feels like a total fever dream. We follow a heroin-addicted aspiring horror filmmaker who becomes obsessed with the extreme experimental filmmaking of a man he meets. It’s weird, super erotic, and will surely complicate the way you look at cameras afterward.

Lines between reality and fiction seem to cease existing. The film's unsettling atmosphere finally culminate in the final ten minutes which might make you forget how to breathe. Surprisingly, Rapture is director Iván Zulueta’s first and only film. He really came in, blew our minds, and dropped the mic after releasing this one.