There are many reasons to learn another language. It can help you find employment, make travelling easier, and help you to make new friends from far away places.
However, the greatest reason to learn another language, in my opinion, is that it allows you to expand your knowledge of Horror literature and film.
Now, if I had the time, I would learn every language in the world for this reason. But I chose to learn Spanish, and here is why I’m glad that I did:
Spanish Language Horror Writing
Julio Cortázar’s short story, La Noche Boca Arriba (The Night Face Up), is probably one of my favorite short stories of all time. It tells the story of a young man who has horrible nightmares while he is recovering from a terrible motorcycle accident. Or does it?
This story is full of psychological deception and primal fear, and is definitely worth a read. If you are not a Spanish speaker, there are, of course, translated versions.
However, translations always take away from the style of any written work, so I would recommend learning the language or reading the original alongside the translation at the very least.
Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga’s, La Miel Silvestre (The Wild Honey), is another terrifying example of primal fear. Horacio writes about a man who accidentally consumes some paralysis inducing, toxic honey while trekking through the jungle, and then the horror begins.
This tale serves as a perfect reminder that the world we live in can be just as grotesque as the fictional places and monsters that mankind has written about for centuries.
La Miel Silvestre is beautifully written in its native tongue, but if you want to read it in English, you can use Google to translate.
WARNING: Using any translating websites or software can cause errors within the text of a story, for the best accuracy, try and find a Spanish speaker to help you translate.
Spooky Spanish Speaking Films
That freaky, masked child is brought to you by director J.A. Bayona and writer Sergio G. Sánchez in their 2007 Horror film, El Orfanato (The Orphanage).
According to a Spanish professor I had, this film wasn’t advertised as “horror” in many Spanish speaking countries. However, it definitely has an eerie feel throughout, and a few good scares.
While I don’t want to ruin anything from this magnificent movie, I will say that the ending is not only a surprise, but is quite horrific.
After viewing this film, you will probably find yourself asking the following questions: Were the ghosts real? Is this about mental illness brought on by grief? Would I be willing to play with spirits in order to find someone I care about?
This is probably the most popular Spanish horror film in the world. I love “Found Footage,” and directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza really did the genre a solid when they brought the world this delightfully dreadful flick.
Most people already know that the 2008 film Quarantine was based directly off of this film, and according to the internet, most people tend to like the original better. I agree with “most people” on this one.
REC follows, basically, the same story line that it’s remake did (in case you’ve only seen Quarantine). A group of people are quarantined in a building after someone gets sick (and becomes somewhat of a zombie) and they try to survive while finding out what’s going on.
It has plenty of blood, scares and creepy moments, and never gets boring.
While this film is absolutely available with English subtitles, you tend to get a better feel of the characters’ fear when you can understand what they are saying, which is just another awesome reason why you should learn Spanish.
To Sum up…
There are literally thousands of other stories, books and films written in Spanish and horror fans that don’t speak the language are missing out on all of them.
I am extremely glad that I chose to put in the work to learn Spanish, because my newly-found-ability has allowed me to open a door on an entire new room of the haunted house that is my brain. A room that is essentially a massive library full of unread books and unseen films.
I highly recommend learning to speak a second language if you also want to expand your knowledge of the world of horror, and Spanish seems to havebeen a wise place to start for me.
Thanks for reading!
B.G.'s Horror Blog 