The title is corny. The plot is basic. The subject matter is nothing new.
However, somehow, 2005’s Curandero is a nasty little offering that will hook up your nipples to a V8 car battery and twist your spine into a corkscrew of sick delights. Shades of Tarantino permeate through the entire film, so it is no surprise that the screenplay was written by none other than Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror, Sin City, From Dusk till Dawn)
When Carlos (Carlos Callardo from Desperado and Planet Terror), a reluctant second-generation curandero (loosely meaning ‘healer’) gets a visit from a beautiful police detective called Magdalena (Gizeht Galatea from The Call), he enters an underworld he had been carefully and deliberately avoiding all his life. Magdalena asks him to purify the police station after an unexplained murder takes place in a holding cell, so insidious that witchcraft is the irrefutable culprit.
Although Carlos denies his innate gift, he is forced to face his nature while unraveling a blood-drenched riddle – not only in the matter of the ensuing violent crimes, but also the surreptitious history of his companion, Magdalena.
Curandero is a Spanish language film with subtitles, a supernatural horror with gruesome gore elements from the bowels of Mexico City. Those who are familiar with the occult and Latin-American black magic will quickly recognize practices like Santería and Palo Mayombe prevalent in the film. These are West African-derived religions with components of Catholicism and make for a smorgasbord of depravity, cannibalism and human sacrifice in a Third World setting where corruption is rife and protectors are predators.
Perhaps this is why the Curandero is shot in coarse visual contrasts with dampened coloring. At first, the darker cinematography comes across as a flaw, but it works in context. Director Eduardo Rodriguez uses fast-paced edits in the shoot-outs, while drawing out the dialogue scenes with visceral flashes to bombard the audience with the abhorrent nature of the pursuit.
The acting is solid, but forgettable for the most part. Having said that, Curandero’s main villain is a powerful practitioner that would make Julian Sands’ warlock piss his pants and it is a beautiful thing to behold. Played brilliantly by Mexican veteran actor and voice actor, Gabriel Pingarrón, the sinister, grinning cult leader walks between the worlds of criminal dominion and satanic sovereignty, taunting authorities and shamans alike.
Gradually, Carlos learns who he is, how to face adversity and where to chase. As he discovers his abilities to the full, the film also steadily reveals the true nature of various characters accordingly. The effects are grisly and over the top, working well with the elements of the gritty cinematography and the escalating perversion of Curandero. The film runs comfortably on 92 minutes of satanic mayhem and typical police procedure, a fine balance between exposition, development and chaos that makes for a great addition to Saturday night horror marathons.
If you enjoy hybrid horror elements, Curandero is a raw, action-filled bloodbath that will make you think twice before crossing the border on your next vacation.
—Tasha Danzig