In the 1980s single-parent families faced many more obstacles than today, mainly single mothers, who suffered from the fear of leaving their children home alone, that idea is the trigger for ‘Don’t Leave the Children Alone’, the new social horror film starring Mexican actress Ana Serradilla.
“It’s not easy not being able to be there for your children, that leaves them vulnerable to anything that could happen in your absence,” Serradilla told EFE about the film directed by Emilio Portes, known for horror features such as ‘Belzebuth’ (2017).
The story follows Catalina (Serradilla), a recent widow who is forced to leave her children at home alone, a decision that leads to her worst nightmares.
Serradilla (1978) lived a childhood in which “nothing was going to happen to you” if you played outside or inside your house, but admits that mothers are increasingly worried about their children, due to the insecurity that plagues the country.
“Now you are afraid that your child will disappear or that even at school he or she will be bullied or get a bad teacher. I think the world is still the same, only now we are more aware of the damage that can happen to our children,” she says.
The feature film seeks to be attached to the context of Latin American families, since, according to a United Nations (UN) report, 11% of families in the region are single-parent, a percentage that is on the rise.
In addition to being a nod by Portes to horror films of the 80’s such as ‘Poltergeist’ (1982) or ‘The Children of the Corn’ (1984).
For his part, actor Jesús Zavala (Marco) considers that the production is also an exercise in nostalgia and an example for new generations to understand what childhood was like beyond technology.
“A lot of young people are going to see the movie and wonder how it was possible for the kids to stay home alone, nowadays the plot would have been solved with a FaceTime,” jokes the 34-year-old actor.
No Dejes a los Niños Solos’, a film that revives Mexican terror
For Serradilla, known for comedies such as ‘Cansada de besar sapos’ (2006), the film’s premiere on May 14 will be her first foray into the genre, which is increasingly present in Mexican cinema, considering that Mexico is one of the main consumers of horror.
“We are making better and better horror films in Mexico. There is still a long way to go before we can say that there is a huge genre industry, because many more films should be made, but we are getting there. More and more are being produced and, above all, they are being made very well,” defends the artist.
In Serradilla’s case, not having ventured into this type of film before was due to a question of self-confidence and the fear she felt of participating in a bad project that “would cause more fear than laughter”.
However, according to Agencia EFE, Zavala assures that the public’s reception has been very positive both nationally and internationally, having received “enormous public support” with more than 22 awards in the United States and Europe, as well as the award for best Latin American film at the Sitges Film Festival (Spain).
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.
