This film is currently unavailable
Santa Sangre
Alejandro Jodorowsky's surreal, cult horror about a boy who escapes from the circus, reuniting with his mother to form a bizarre and murderous double-act.
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Overview
The director's son (Axel Jodorowsky) plays the troubled young circus boy who witnesses all manner of strange and disturbing events before running away and starting a new life. Years later he's reunited with his armless mother to form a bizarre double act in which he becomes her 'arms', leading to a murderous spree.
Visonary Chilean director Jodorowsky first earned a cult following with his mind-melting acid western El Topo in 1970, one of the first films to to be exhibited as a 'midnight movie'. After many years struggling to raise financing for his singular visions, Jodorowsky partnered with Italian producer Claudio Argento (brother of Dario, director of Suspiria) who agreed to finance Santa Sangre on the proviso it appealed to the horror crowd. The result is an unforgettable combination of Jodorowsky's esoteric themes and motifs (religion, philosophy, rituals, circuses, dwarfs, mime) with highly imaginative scenes of graphic violence. Memorably described by Roger Ebert as "existing outside all categories", Santa Sangre is a genuine cult classic that will warp the mind of even the most jaded moviegoer.
Contains strong gory violence and horror
Related
The Balconettes The Balconettes
Comedy 2024 104 mins Director: Noémie Merlant
Co-written with Céline Sciamma, Noémie Merlant’s bright and bold film follows three friends as they try to dispose of the body of an abuser they’ve accidentally killed.
Let the Right One In Let the Right One In
Horror 2008 115 mins Director: Tomas Alfredson
A twelve-year-old boy befriends a mysterious girl with a dark secret, in Tomas Alfredson’s grownup tale of childhood vampirism.
The Love Witch The Love Witch
Comedy 2016 121 mins Director: Anna Biller
A modern-day witch uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her, in Anna Biller's outrageous tribute to 1960s Technicolor melodramas.
Amulet Amulet
Horror 2020 99 mins Director: Romola Garai
Old sins refuse to be forgotten in Romola Garai’s gothic horror and hauntingly atmospheric debut feature.
Red Rooms Red Rooms
Thriller 2023 118 mins Director: Pascal Plante
The allure of the serial killer is explored in this deeply unsettling and unforgettable exploration of the impact of extreme violence.
Sleep Sleep
Comedy 2023 94 mins Director: Jason Yu
A recently married couple find their lives turning upside down as a result of the husband’s nocturnal behaviour.
Electricity Electricity
Drama 2014 96 mins Director: Bryn Higgins
Agyness Deyn stars in a powerful story seen through the eyes of a young woman whose epilepsy brings extraordinary hallucinations.
My Brother the Devil My Brother the Devil
Drama 2012 107 mins Director: Sally El Hosaini
Sally El Hosaini's feature debut tells of the love and disenchantment of two British-Egyptian brothers as gangs, drugs and sexuality come between them.
Bullet Boy Bullet Boy
Drama 2005 86 mins Director: Saul Dibb
Ashley Walters impresses in the hard-hitting Hackney drama that’s still one of the best of Britain’s black urban crime films.
Shell Shell
Drama 2013 87 mins Director: Scott Graham
In a remote part of Scotland, teenager Shell develops an intense relationship with her reclusive father.
Me without You Me without You
Drama 2001 103 mins Director: Sandra Goldbacher
Anna Friel and Michelle Williams star as two troubled girls whose tumultuous friendship takes many twists and turns.
Tetsuo: The Iron Man Tetsuo: The Iron Man
Fantasy 1988 67 mins Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Shinya Tsukamoto's wild cyberpunk tale of a businessman's agonising transformation into a walking scrap heap is a jaggedly dehumanised vision of the future.
Long Day's Journey Into Night Long Day's Journey Into Night
Drama 2018 138 mins Director: Bi Gan
Bi Gan's ‘destroyed film noir' is a dazzling dive into an immersive dreamscape.
Vermiglio Vermiglio
Drama 2024 120 mins Director: Maura Delpero
Unfolding against the stunning backdrop of a remote Italian mountain village, Maura Delpero’s film is a hauntingly beautiful period tale of family life gradually torn apart.
On Falling On Falling
Drama 2025 101 mins Director: Laura Carreira
The importance of human connection lies at the heart of this powerful, nuanced portrait of a young Portuguese warehouse employee in Scotland.
The Balconettes The Balconettes
Comedy 2024 104 mins Director: Noémie Merlant
Co-written with Céline Sciamma, Noémie Merlant’s bright and bold film follows three friends as they try to dispose of the body of an abuser they’ve accidentally killed.
Barking Dogs Never Bite Barking Dogs Never Bite
Comedy 2000 111 mins Director: Bong Joon-ho
A professor takes drastic action to silence a barking dog in this superb debut feature from Bong Joon-ho, the Oscar-winning director of Parasite.
Memories of Murder Memories of Murder
Detective drama 2003 131 mins Director: Bong Joon-ho
A pair of detectives clash trying to solve the brutal murder of two women, in Bong Joon-ho’s masterful blend of true crime and dark social satire.