The Phantom of the Monastery is best approached not as a timeless horror film, but as a subversive precursor to Mexican art cinema. Beneath its religious imagery lies a bold exploration of desire, guilt, and repression, anticipating Buñuel’s later work and embracing ambiguity over explanation.

The opening sequence of Cerrar los ojos (Close Your Eyes, Víctor Erice, 2023) made me feel like I was immersed in a Jorge Luis Borges story. Although not technically the case, this is befitting for a Spanish-Argentinian co-production under the assured hand of one of cinema’s last living masters: Spanish director Víctor Erice.