Santa Sangre

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Santa Sangre

NC-17

Released Mar 30, 1990

2h 3m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

43 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).

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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.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

You can say this: It is never boring.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 15, 2013

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Audience Member

there is nothing like santa sangre

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

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Lloyd S

Random nonsense. I highly recommend you avoid this waste of time.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/24/24

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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

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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

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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)

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