La Leyenda de la Nahuala

In 1807 Puebla, New Spain, there is an old abandoned house.  According to legend, it is haunted by the spirit of Nahuala (Medina).  Leo San Juan (Santini) is terrified of the legend, especially when his older brother Nando (Coronel) teases him.  Leo is forced to face his fears when Nahula captures Nando.

Friar Godofredo (Robles) believes Nahula is trying to finish a ritual that involves killing Nando.  Leo runs into the house to save his brother.  Along the way he is helped by the spirits of Xochitl (Higareda) and Teodora (Cordeiro), the girls that were killed when Nahula previously tried to perform the ritual.  He is also helped by two sugar skulls, Alebrije (Inclan), and old knight Don Andres (Bustamante).  Can Leo overcome his fears and save his town?

A while ago I discovered the sequel to this film on Netflix.  I was intrigued by the story and animation style, but it went off Netflix before I could finish it.  With Halloween coming up, I searched for it on Netflix and was pleasantly surprised to find this film.

The film is from Mexico, and is based on traditional Mexican legends.  The film is interspersed with important aspects / symbols from Mexico, like sugar skulls and alebrijes.  Obviously, the film is in Spanish.  I watched with subtitles and absolutely no knowledge of Mexican traditions / legends.  And I loved it.

The animation is great, it stands out from other popular styles.  The characters are entertaining; I was captivated by the sugar skulls (the only characters that don't talk).  Leo is a good lead and you definitely enjoy him more once he takes the lead.  The story is funny and energetic, while still embracing the horror.  It is supposed to be a kids film, but might be a bit too much for younger kids.

The film was popular enough to garner 3 sequels (La Leyenda de la Llorona in 2011, La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato in 2014, and La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato in 2016) which take Leo and his friends to tackle more Mexican legends.

La Leyenda de la Nahuala (2007) 82 minutes
Director: Ricardo Arnaiz
Starring: Fabrizio Santini as Leo San Juan
Andres Bustamante as Don Andres
Jesus Ochoa as Santos
Rafael Inclan as Alebrije
Martha Higareda as Xochitl
Maria Teresa Cordeiro as Teodora
Ofelia Medina as La Nahuala
Luna Arjona as Nana Dionisia
Bruno Coronel as Nando San Juan
German Robles as Friar Godofredo
Maria Santander as Tonita San Juan