Tekenchu: The Rite of the Nahuales: reviews

What the critics say average 7.2 from 11 outlets

• 8.5 IGN LatinoaméricaDiego Valadez The film is a breath of fresh air for Mexican and Latin American horror cinema. Read
• 8.3 PoluxWebErick Moreno One of the greatest strengths of 'El ritual del Nahual' is the respect with which it portrays the spiritual beliefs of Indigenous communities. Read
• 8.0 EspinofJoel Calata 'El Ritual del Nahual' doesn't only aim to scare; it immerses the viewer in an experience where fear comes from the ancestral and from what stays hidden in Mexico's collective memory. Read
• 8.0 ScreenAnarchyArd Vijn But at a mere 80 minutes of length, Tekenchu: The Rite of the Nahuales doesn't overstay its welcome. It's an interesting little genre film, and I liked it a lot. Read
• 7.5 MilenioFernando Zamora 'El ritual del nahual' steers clear of slavish imitation of films like 'The Wicker Man', 'The Witch' or 'Midsommar' and lets the horror rise out of the historical and mythical wounds of Mexico's deepest heartland. Read
• 7.5 Aventuras NerdMoisés García An imperfect but valuable film: atmospheric, culturally potent and necessary to keep clearing a path for Mexican horror with an identity of its own. Read
• 7.0 PólvoraEduardo Vázquez It doesn't try to be an outright commercial marvel, but it manages to put folk horror on the national radar with much-needed dignity. Read
• 7.0 El Sol de MéxicoGerardo Gil Ballesteros It's worth seeing for a well-handled script, but above all for its respect for the genre, with its way of reviving a classic legend. It's well made too, and the director pulls the subject off thanks to good pacing and the performances. Read
• 7.0 Cine CassetteEduardo Velazquez The pace may be a little slow, but it sets everything up for an interesting reveal and a well-thought-out twist you can't see coming at first, even though all the signs were there. Read
• 6.0 EscribiendoCineSantiago Echeverría In a local film landscape often saturated with recycled romantic comedies, a director betting on folk horror and on telling stories from our own mythologies is, at the very least, a gesture worth noting. Read
• 4.5 Un Mundo FelizDiegoberto Maldonado Unfortunately, despite a few flashes of brilliance and some pertinent social criticism, the film doesn't live up to its immediate predecessors. Read