Tekenchu: the Rite of the Nahuales (2026)

Tekenchu: the Rite of the Nahuales is a Mexican folk-horror thriller set amid the forests and villages of San Luis Potosí. The story follows a federal agent investigating a disturbing series of child murders while two local healers shelter an injured man they discover in the woods.

Drawing on Indigenous legends, ritual practices, and the mythology of the nahual, the film blends supernatural horror with crime fiction. Its atmosphere is deliberately slow-burning, using the rural setting and ancestral beliefs to explore themes of guilt, evil, protection, and retribution without relying solely on conventional horror imagery.

• The film is the first feature directed by Carlos Matienzo Serment.
• It expands on the Tekenchu creature first explored in Matienzo Serment's 2020 short film.
• The film was shot in the forests of San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
• The cast includes Gerardo Trejoluna, Gerardo Oñate, Alejandra Herrera, Caraly Sánchez, and Daphne Agha-Neumann.
• The 80-minute feature had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2026.