TelevisaUnivision’s Videocine, together with international sales agent FilmSharks, has unveiled the gripping trailer for “Don’t Leave the Kids Alone,” a highly anticipated horror/thriller directed by acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Emilio Portes, known for his work on Belzebuth and Pastorela. Following its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and screenings at BIFF and Fantaspoa, the movie is set to make its Mexican debut this June at the Guadalajara Film Festival.
Set in the analog backdrop of the late 1980s, the film centers on Catalina (Ana Serradilla), a recently widowed mother who leaves her two sons, Mati and Emi, alone for a night. What starts as typical sibling rivalry over a video game console quickly spirals into psychological terror as an unseen force begins to manipulate the boys, feeding their paranoia and fears while blurring the lines between dark fantasy and reality.
Guido Rud, CEO of FilmSharks and the executive who introduced the film at Berlinale’s European Film Market earlier this year, praised the project as “a genre gem” with “narrative depth and style rivaling some of the best U.S. directors working today.”
Portes describes the movie as “a personal journey back to our childhood,” highlighting the film’s exploration of the thrill and danger of being left alone in a pre-digital world where imagination and fear collide. He emphasizes the story’s core themes: sibling rivalry, an unbreakable bond, and the impulsive fantasy of wanting to be the only child.
Supported by one of Latin America’s largest production companies and with Videocine holding North and South American rights, “Don’t Leave the Kids Alone” is positioned to become a standout horror movie in the region for 2025. The cast also includes José Sefami (Amores Perros) and newcomer Juan Pablo Velasco, delivering a haunting portrayal that captures the unsettling feeling of childhood loneliness in the dark.
This film promises a unique blend of emotional depth and supernatural suspense, marking an exciting addition to the genre.
