The best Spanish horror films
The top 3 according to 773 votes from people: [REC] · The Others · The Orphanage. (Updated Apr 7, 2025.)
From 1970s 'fantaterror' to the generation of Amenábar, Balagueró and Bayona: the Spanish horror films that come up most in lists by Espinof, eCartelera and the film press.
Automatically translated (original in Español). See the original
Top 20
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1
[REC]
Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, 2007. A TV reporter trapped in a quarantined Barcelona building, all shot on handheld camera.
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2
The Others
Alejandro Amenábar, 2001. Nicole Kidman in a Jersey mansion in 1945; the highest-grossing Spanish horror film.
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3
The Orphanage
J. A. Bayona, 2007. Belén Rueda returns to the orphanage of her childhood; produced by Guillermo del Toro.
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4
The Devil's Backbone
Guillermo del Toro, 2001. An orphanage during the Spanish Civil War and the ghost of Santi; a Spanish co-production by the Almodóvar brothers.
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5
The Telephone Box
Antonio Mercero, 1972. José Luis López Vázquez trapped in a phone box; a TVE medium-length film that won an International Emmy.
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6
Veronica
Paco Plaza, 2017. A Ouija board at a school in Vallecas in 1991, inspired by a real case.
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7
Thesis
Alejandro Amenábar, 1996. A student investigates snuff films at her university; seven Goyas.
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8
The Day of the Beast
Álex de la Iglesia, 1995. A priest, a metalhead and a TV psychic try to stop the birth of the Antichrist in Madrid.
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9
Tombs of the Blind Dead
Amando de Ossorio, 1972. The blind zombie Templar knights; a peak of Spanish 'fantaterror'.
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10
Who Can Kill a Child?
Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, 1976. A tourist couple on an island where the children have killed the adults.
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11
Sleep Tight
Jaume Balagueró, 2011. Luis Tosar as a concierge who wants to make a tenant miserable.
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12
Coven
Pablo Agüero, 2020. Young women accused of witchcraft in the Basque Country in 1609; five Goyas.
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13
Shrew's Nest
Juanfer Andrés and Esteban Roel, 2014. Macarena Gómez as an agoraphobic seamstress in 1950s Madrid.
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14
Fragile
Jaume Balagueró, 2005. Calista Flockhart at a children's hospital about to close on the Isle of Wight.
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15
Witching and Bitching
Álex de la Iglesia, 2013. Robbers flee to a Navarre village full of witches; eight Goyas.
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16
The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman
León Klimovsky, 1971. Paul Naschy as the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky; a 'fantaterror' hit.
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17
The Nameless
Jaume Balagueró, 1999. A mother gets a call from her missing daughter; based on Ramsey Campbell.
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18
Open Your Eyes
Alejandro Amenábar, 1997. Eduardo Noriega and Penélope Cruz; between thriller, sci-fi and nightmare.
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19
The Grandmother
Paco Plaza, 2021. A model returns from Paris to look after her grandmother in Madrid.
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20
It Happened in Broad Daylight
Ladislao Vajda, 1958. A killer of young girls in a Swiss village, with Gert Fröbe; a Spanish-Swiss co-production.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 20… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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21
Julia's eyes
Horror thriller by Guillem Morales (2010), produced by Guillermo del Toro and starring Belén Rueda.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (7)
El día de la bestia es más comedia negra que terror, pero es una obra maestra.
Los otros con Nicole Kidman, un giro final de manual.
¿Quién puede matar a un niño? de Chicho Ibáñez Serrador, adelantadísima a su época.
Verónica la vi de noche sola y fue un error.
[REC] primera, merecidísimo, el final en el ático da un miedo que no se olvida.
La cabina me traumatizó de pequeño viéndola en la tele.
A mí también, no podía entrar en una cabina telefónica 😂