Netflix nabs Madre following SXSW premiere
David Farnor | On 12, Mar 2017
Netflix has nabbed the streaming rights to horror film Madre, following its premiere at SXSW.
The film, which screened last night at the festival, is the second feature film from director Aaron Burns.
Working on visual effects for Grindhouse and acting in Eli Roth’s Knock Knock and The Green Inferno, Burns has been active both behind the camera and in front of it. His first film, Blacktino, won Best Director at the New York International Film Festival. His sophomore effort is proving just as successful, with Netflix buying the global streaming rights to the whole film – a vote of confidence from the online giant that has previously been bestowed upon such horror films as Under the Shadow.
The movie stars Chilean actress Daniela Ramírez as Diana Prieto, who is pregnant and taking care of her first child, Martin, who has autism. With no one to help her while her husband works away from home in Asia, she’s at breaking point, when caregiver Luz (from the Philippines) offers help. Martin quickly begins improving under Luz’s supervision, but Diana’s worried that he’s only being taught to speak Filipino. Diana begins to suspect that Luz is using the language barrier and voodoo to turn Martin against Diana and into something far more sinister.
The movie is produced by Nicolás López and Miguel Asensio Llamas, and marks the first project from Purgatorio, a new label within Sobras International Pictures, which produced both Knock Knock and Inferno. The label specialises in horror rooted in Latin American folklore with mainstream appeal.
Madre will stream worldwide on Netflix later this year.
Here’s a trailer:
Photo: SXSW / Eduardo Moreno