Diablo Rojo (PTY) is a 2019 Panamanian comedy horror film about a bus driver, his helper, a priest, and two policemen who fall victim to a mysterious spell. They end up lost somewhere in the Chiriqui jungle, where they have to survive the hellish creatures such as the witches, led by La Tulivieja, and the cannibals that inhabit the roads, with the old bus as their only refuge.
Directed by Sol Moreno and producer J. Oskura Nájera from a screenplay written by the latter with Adair Dominguez, the Panama Horror Film Company production stars Carlos Carrasco, Leo Wiznitzer, Alejandra Araúz and Natalia Beluche.
Reviews:
“Those who like more intense horror, or gore, may have to look elsewhere, but the rest – those who are able to see the film for its ambition, influence and invention, such as a full view of a character being sliced in half – will be more at home here. Especially if they like their horror efficient, the film’s run time being only seventy-six minutes.” Battle Royale with Cheese
“Diablo Rojo PTY succeeds by not only delivering well-staged horror tableaus but because it balances fear and grief with levity and charm. It’s as simple as some men being attacked by malevolent beings, but it’s a story of guilt and grief acted through gags. It’s a delight that I’d call fun for the whole family if it weren’t for all that baby-eating stuff.” Daily Dead
“Diablo Rojo PTY is a winner for a number of reasons. First of all, we get some tried and true horror tropes thrown our way (the secluded locale populated with all manner of hellish creatures, and a hero in waaaay over his head smack of our beloved Evil Dead franchise for starters)… but a curve comes in the evil itself; creatures from the legends of the Panamanian people which are new to the cinematic horror biz.” Horror Fuel
“Yes, this is a messy meathead movie and it aims to please. It might not be great art, but it is a cinematic milestone. Indeed, the Panamanian horror movie tradition is off to a rip-roaring, body-part-ripping start. Connoisseurs can think of it like Alex de la Iglesia’s Witching & Bitching, with less brains and more chutzpah. Highly recommended for fans gross-out comedy horror.” J.B. Spins
“There are crazy, bordering on ridiculous practical creature effects, bad dream hallucinations, and occasional grotesque violence, both in idea and execution. The entire picture has a pervasive weirdness and a unique perspective we don’t often encounter in horror—it’s familiar but also something we haven’t seen—and because of that, it’s well worth a look for curious genre fans.” The Last Thing I See
“While there are some elements that falter a bit, some pieces to the story that seem tacked on and forgotten halfway through in the interest of exploring the myth, on the whole Diablo Rojo is strong with a fantastically gruesome creature design. The film is at its strongest when the witches and Tulivieja show up.” Killer Horror Critic
“There were a host of special effects in the work in progress edit that were really, really, wonderful – and yes, perhaps silly – practical gore effects that would appeal to any horror fan around the world. Some of these effects were lost in the final cut. To guess as to why we can only presume was because the filmmakers chose to take a more serious approach to the final edit.” Screen Anarchy
“Diablo Rojo PTY feels dark, dank, and messy, and knowing its terrors are rooted in real-life legends offers them a certain three-dimensionality but it never quite achieves the scare potential the filmmakers […] were clearly aiming for. Maybe it was simply lost in translation, or perhaps a deeper understanding of the source material is required…” Wicked Horror
Release:
The Horror Collective – distributors of The Perished; The Dare and Greenlight – has released Diablo Rojo PTY in the USA via Amazon Prime
Cast and characters:
Carlos Carrasco … Miguel Moreno
Leo Wiznitzer … Padre Andres
Alejandra Araúz … Josefina Becerra
Natalia Beluche … Melida
Renan Fernandez … Teo Carrington
Julian Urriola … Junito el pavo
Blas Valois … Winnie Pinilla
Simon Tejeira … Padre Andres de joven
Aragón Chiari … Witch Mayor 1
Marisín Luzcando … Witch Mayor 2
Angeles Moyra Andreina Angeles … Witch
Fabiola Candido … Witch
Alba de Obaldia … Witch
Melisa Torres … Witch
Mileyka Rudas … Witch
Technical details:
77 minutes
Trailer:
Clip:
Full film free to watch online:
