'
Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Santa Sangre

Play trailer Poster for Santa Sangre NC-17 Released Mar 30, 1990 2h 3m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
89% Tomatometer 44 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In Mexico, the traumatized son (Axel Jodorowsky) of a knife-thrower (Guy Stockwell) and a trapeze artist bonds grotesquely with his now-armless mother (Blanca Guerra).
Watch on Prime Video Stream Now

Where to Watch

Santa Sangre

Santa Sangre

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Those unfamiliar with Alejandro Jodorowsky's style may find it overwhelming, but Santa Sangre is a provocative psychedelic journey featuring the director's signature touches of violence, vulgarity, and an oddly personal moral center.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (44) Critics Reviews
Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer You can say this: It is never boring. Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 15, 2013 Full Review Michael Upchurch Seattle Times Santa Sangre's content puts it beyond the call of duty for even the most slavishly devoted art-house denizen. Rated: 2/4 Nov 15, 2013 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune What Jodorowsky lacks is a sense of humor, in the absence of which his films turn ludicrous. Rated: 2/4 Nov 15, 2013 Full Review Robert Martin Starburst You don’t often come away from a film thinking that there’s not much else that’s quite like, but you just might come away from Santa Sangre with that feeling... Rated: 4/5 Aug 6, 2024 Full Review Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast A sumptuous feast for the eyes wrapped around a tragic character study, Santa Sangre is not to be missed. Rated: 4/5 Aug 5, 2024 Full Review Soham Gadre Vague Visages Santa Sangre’s themes of empathy and hope are uniquely personal for Jodorowsky, and they help bring the film’s horrors and bloodshed into perspective… Jan 9, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (538) audience reviews
Jon J There is no sub text there is no innuendo. It’s just a psychotic fever dream of a mentally ill person. The only reason I gave it two stars is because I almost finished it… waiting to see what kind of bs would happen next.basically it’s about a crappy circus marriage and some tatt’d hoe with too many green tattoos in the worst place lol and then exploitation of children … it’s really terrible, nobody should celebrate this Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/25/25 Full Review Insomniac X Haunting, nightmarishly beautiful arthouse horror film. Jodorowsky's highly imagistic, symbolic style works perfectly in service of the story's themes of mental illness, childhood trauma, and personal agency. Producer Claudio Argento's influence can be felt in narrative and design elements imported from giallo cinema. A sensory feast for fans of horror and surrealist filmmaking. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/24/25 Full Review Audience Member there is nothing like santa sangre Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/30/24 Full Review Lloyd S Random nonsense. I highly recommend you avoid this waste of time. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/24/24 Full Review Jay A Like watching a stage act doing horror while on hallucinigens. It was interesting to watch, just very very weird. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/29/24 Full Review Teddy B Alejandro Jodorowsky's magnum opus thrillingly combines ultra-violence, themes of revenge, abusive family, and mental deterioration, and heavy inspiration by silent films ('The Hands of Orlac' especially) in terms of acting and atmosphere. 'Santa Sangre' is a film that seems destined not to work; destined to end up as a forgettable exploitative diatribe, but it does. I don't know how, but it does. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/15/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Santa Sangre

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
The Evil Dead 86% 84% The Evil Dead Watchlist TRAILER for The Evil Dead A Serbian Film 47% 46% A Serbian Film Watchlist The Devils 70% 88% The Devils Watchlist Tales From the Darkside: The Movie 46% 45% Tales From the Darkside: The Movie Watchlist Creepshow 2 29% 41% Creepshow 2 Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis In Mexico, the traumatized son (Axel Jodorowsky) of a knife-thrower (Guy Stockwell) and a trapeze artist bonds grotesquely with his now-armless mother (Blanca Guerra).
Director
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Producer
Claudio Argento
Screenwriter
Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roberto Leoni, Claudio Argento
Distributor
Republic Pictures
Production Co
Produzioni Intersound
Rating
NC-17
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 30, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 18, 2016
Runtime
2h 3m
Sound Mix
Dolby
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.85:1)
Most Popular at Home Now