‘Huesera’, the Mexican horror film compared to the horror classics at the FICM

National horror cinema has had an important presence in several international film festivals, such as New York and Tribeca. These two are the ones who saw the premiere of ‘Huesera’, a Mexican horror film. Its director, Michelle Garza, talked about how her story has been compared to other classics of the genre during FICM.

From Saturday 22 to 29 October, the Morelia Film Festival, where she presented Michelle Garza ‘basket of bones’, his first feature film, critically acclaimed at several festivals, thanks to its history. The plot is about Valeria, a woman who wants to have a child, but it is impossible for her to get pregnant with her.

In the past, ‘basket of bones’ has been compared to ‘Babadook’,’The Rosemary Child’Y’hereditary’, they are all classic horror films, but they share themes such as motherhood and its relationship to the fantastic. In a press conference, with Martha Claudia Moreno, Mercedes Hernández, Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla and the protagonist, Sonia Couoh, the director talked about the comparisons of her work.

“I am happy that this label or tendency to reject the genre is removed if it can be magnificent or very broad in its meaning, like this film,” said Michelle Garza. “Huesera” is about a woman who tries in every way to be a mother and, when she succeeds, an evil presence starts to haunt her and will not only put her life at risk, but also that of the child.

Michelle Garza has always been a horror fan

Although many compare ‘basket of bones’ with horror classics, the truth is that Michelle Garza has been a horror fan since she was very young, both in cinema and in literature: “I think that horror and fantasy are very generous, they allow us to focus on everyday situations that in everyday life we ​​don’t stop and watch”. She even claims that “Frankenstein” was one of her greatest references to shape her stories of her.

But Garza also declares that Mexican horror films have also had a great influence on his cinema, especially the stories of director Enrique Taboada. The director has won prestigious international awards, such as Sitges or TIFF. ‘Huesera’ is part of the official selection of the Morelia International Film Festival, where ‘Bardo’ by Alejandro González Iñárritu was also presented.

There is currently no release date for ‘Huesera’ in national theaters, but after passing through FICM, it could arrive at some point at the end of the year, or early 2023. Or failing that, be launched through by some of today’s most popular streaming platforms.