The Devil’s Teardrop (2025)

Congratulations! You’ve Ignored the Locals, Entered a Cursed Forest, and Now You’re Screwed!

Before we get into this review, I want to talk about something a little different, specifically one of the actresses involved in this film, Sydney Gayle Amanuel.

I first discovered Sydney during her time on the YouTube channel Leaderboard, and later, during the 2020 COVID lockdown, I stumbled across her Twitch channel. So she’s someone I was familiar with long before I started looking into her filmography.

And that brings us to The Devil’s Teardrop, a 2025 Peruvian supernatural horror film directed by Gonzalo Otero Maguiño.

Now, I love a good supernatural horror movie, especially when it involves folklore or mythology that we don’t typically see represented in mainstream American horror. There’s an entire world of fascinating and disturbing legends out there, yet Hollywood seems perfectly content making another movie about a possessed doll or some family moving into a house that CLEARLY should’ve been inspected before purchasing.

Here, we’re dealing with Supay, a supernatural entity associated with Andean mythology, and a group of young documentary filmmakers who travel into a remote region of Peru to investigate illegal mining.

And, naturally, the locals warn them not to go there.

So what do our protagonists do?

They go there.

Of course they do.

But does The Devil’s Teardrop manage to distinguish itself from the countless other found-footage horror films we’ve gotten over the years? Or does it fall into the same traps that have plagued the genre since The Blair Witch Project?

Let’s discuss.

Let’s Start by Showing Y’all the Trailers, Shall We?

Official Trailer — The Devil’s Teardrop (2025)

Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Our story follows Sarah (Sydney Gayle Amanuel), an ambitious American filmmaker who convinces three friends to accompany her into a remote region of Peru to document illegal mining operations and their environmental consequences.

Accompanying her are Isaac (Gabriel Rysdahl), Jackie (Mia Rose Kavensky), and Horacio (Javier Saavedra), the group’s Peruvian driver and Jackie’s boyfriend.

The plan is relatively straightforward. Travel into the region, investigate the mining activity, document whatever they discover, and hopefully return with enough material to expose what’s happening.

However, upon arriving, the group encounters warnings from locals about a supernatural presence known as Supay, an entity believed to inhabit the area and punish those who violate the land.

Rather than take these warnings seriously, the group continues toward the abandoned settlement of Qullu.

And wouldn’t you know it? Things start going horribly wrong.

Strange figures appear, their surroundings become increasingly disorienting, and attempts to leave the area prove unsuccessful.

Eventually, the group realizes that whatever is happening around them isn’t simply the result of hostile miners or local superstition.

Something is watching them.

And it has absolutely no intention of letting them leave peacefully.

Character Rundown

Sarah — Sydney Gayle Amanuel

Sarah is the driving force behind the documentary project and arguably the most important character in establishing the film’s premise.

She’s ambitious, determined, and convinced that exposing the illegal mining operation is worth the risks involved.

And I actually appreciate that her motivation has some substance beyond the usual horror-movie excuse of wanting to explore an abandoned location because somebody dared her.

She’s trying to expose something genuinely harmful.

However, there’s an interesting contradiction with Sarah. Her determination to finish the documentary also puts the group in increasingly dangerous situations.

At what point does dedication become recklessness?

That’s a question the movie raises, although the screenplay could’ve done more with it.

Sydney has some of the film’s more demanding material, particularly as Sarah’s confidence is tested by the supernatural events.

It’s a role that gives her more to work with than simply running around screaming whenever something moves in the darkness.

Isaac — Gabriel Rysdahl

Isaac is one of Sarah’s companions and Jackie’s brother.

As the situation deteriorates, he becomes increasingly important to the group’s attempts to understand what’s happening and escape.

His fear and desperation eventually push him toward some morally questionable decisions.

And that’s potentially one of the more interesting directions for the story.

Because horror doesn’t always need to be about what the monster does to people. Sometimes it’s about what frightened people are willing to do to one another.

Jackie — Mia Rose Kavensky

Jackie accompanies her brother Isaac and boyfriend Horacio on the expedition.

She provides another perspective on the group’s deteriorating situation, although the screenplay doesn’t give her as much individual development as it could.

This is one of those cases where having only four central characters should theoretically provide plenty of opportunities to explore their relationships.

Unfortunately, some of that potential goes underused.

Horacio — Javier Saavedra

Horacio is the group’s driver and their most direct connection to Peru.

He also has a more volatile personality than some of his companions, which contributes to the growing tension.

However, I think there’s a missed opportunity here.

Considering that this is a Peruvian horror film exploring Andean mythology, Horacio could’ve been used to provide a stronger cultural perspective on the legends and local beliefs.

Instead, much of the mythology remains relatively underexplored.

Pacing / Episode Flow

At approximately 98 minutes, The Devil’s Teardrop isn’t an especially long movie, but it does suffer from some repetition.

The opening establishes the documentary premise, introduces the characters, and brings them into contact with the local warnings.

The abandoned village of Qullu provides a suitably unsettling location, and the initial supernatural occurrences create a decent sense of mystery.

However, once the group becomes trapped, the story starts repeating certain ideas.

They attempt to escape, encounter something frightening, become disoriented, and try again.

There’s only so many times you can watch characters wander through the woods before you start wondering whether the screenplay has also gotten lost.

The film does introduce additional supernatural threats and character conflicts, but the momentum isn’t always consistent.

And unfortunately, the final act doesn’t entirely deliver on the atmosphere established earlier.

Pros

The Peruvian Folklore

This is easily one of the film’s more appealing ideas.

Supay and the broader mythology surrounding the region provide an opportunity to explore supernatural horror from a cultural perspective that mainstream audiences don’t encounter nearly enough.

I particularly like the connection between the supernatural threat and the exploitation of the environment.

Illegal mining is a genuine problem, and the idea of something ancient retaliating against those damaging the land provides an interesting foundation.

There’s a good horror movie hiding inside that concept.

The Abandoned Village

Qullu is an effective setting.

The empty structures and isolated surroundings create an atmosphere of abandonment and uncertainty.

You don’t necessarily need a monster jumping out every thirty seconds when the environment itself already feels wrong.

Sometimes an empty building and the suggestion that something is nearby are enough.

Some Effective Creature Imagery

The film features unsettling supernatural appearances, including a threatening animal-like entity and disturbing human figures.

The stronger creature moments demonstrate that the filmmakers have some interesting visual ideas.

I particularly appreciate horror that makes you uncertain about what you’re actually looking at.

The Cast Takes the Material Seriously

Regardless of the screenplay’s shortcomings, the central performers commit to the increasingly frightening situation.

Sydney Amanuel and the rest of the ensemble help keep the movie grounded when the supernatural elements become more exaggerated.

Cons

We’ve Seen This Found-Footage Formula Before

A group of young filmmakers travels somewhere isolated.

The locals warn them not to continue.

They ignore the warnings.

Something supernatural happens.

They can’t escape.

Sound familiar?

Because at this point, that’s practically the instruction manual for making a found-footage horror movie.

I’m not saying filmmakers can’t reuse familiar premises, but they need to bring something distinctive to the execution.

Unfortunately, The Devil’s Teardrop doesn’t always do enough to separate itself from its predecessors.

The Mythology Is Underdeveloped

This one genuinely disappoints me.

You’ve got an intriguing supernatural entity connected to Andean mythology, a setting rarely explored in mainstream horror, and an environmental message that could’ve made the story particularly interesting.

And yet the film spends comparatively little time developing the mythology.

Why not explore the beliefs surrounding Supay more thoroughly?

Why not make the supernatural rules a stronger part of the narrative?

Instead, the mythology sometimes feels like an excuse to introduce another monster.

The Camera Work Becomes Frustrating

Found-footage horror has always struggled with one particular problem.

Why are these people STILL FILMING?!

Look, I understand that the entire premise requires footage to exist.

But when characters are desperately trying to survive something supernatural, there comes a point where I start questioning why documenting the experience remains a priority.

The shaky camera movements and dark nighttime sequences can also make certain encounters difficult to follow.

There’s a difference between deliberately concealing a monster to create suspense and making it difficult to understand what’s happening on screen.

The Visual Effects Are Inconsistent

Some of the practical-looking creature imagery is effective, but certain digital effects are considerably less convincing.

The supernatural material becomes more visually ambitious toward the conclusion, and unfortunately, that’s also where the film’s budget limitations become more noticeable.

Sometimes showing less is considerably more frightening than showing everything.

The Final Act Doesn’t Fully Deliver

The film builds a reasonably interesting mystery around the supernatural presence and the group’s inability to escape.

However, the eventual explanations and confrontations aren’t quite as satisfying as the setup suggests.

And for a horror film relying heavily on mystery, that’s a considerable problem.

Final Thoughts

The Devil’s Teardrop is an interesting but uneven supernatural horror film.

I appreciate the filmmakers attempting to incorporate Andean mythology into a found-footage story, particularly through the connection between environmental destruction and supernatural retaliation.

The abandoned village provides a suitably creepy setting, some of the creature imagery is effective, and the cast gives the material a reasonable amount of credibility.

However, the film struggles to develop its mythology beyond the basic premise, the found-footage approach becomes repetitive, and the final act doesn’t quite justify the buildup.

And that’s unfortunate because I genuinely think the underlying concept has potential.

A supernatural entity protecting the land from human exploitation?

That’s a fascinating idea!

But the movie ultimately seems more interested in delivering familiar horror encounters than fully exploring the implications of its premise.

It’s not a complete disaster, and there’s enough here to make it worth considering for fans of independent supernatural horror.

But I also wouldn’t call it particularly memorable.

Rating: 5.8/10

An intriguing Peruvian supernatural horror film with an interesting premise, decent atmosphere, and committed performances, but one that struggles with repetitive found-footage conventions, underdeveloped mythology, and an underwhelming conclusion.

SPOILER WARNING!

From this point forward, we’re discussing major plot developments and supernatural revelations from The Devil’s Teardrop.

If you’re planning on watching it, consider this your warning.

And unlike our protagonists, perhaps actually listen to the warning this time.

Spoilers

One of the most important developments occurs when the group realizes that leaving the abandoned settlement isn’t as simple as getting back into their vehicle and driving away.

Instead, their attempts to escape repeatedly bring them back into the same area.

This is where the film begins exploring the idea that the environment itself has become hostile.

It’s a familiar supernatural horror concept, but one that can be extremely effective when handled properly.

The problem is that the movie relies on it so heavily that the repetition gradually diminishes the tension.

The group also encounters disturbing apparitions and animal-like creatures, including a particularly unsettling black dog associated with the supernatural activity.

These appearances reinforce the idea that Supay isn’t necessarily restricted to one physical form.

Unfortunately, the film doesn’t spend enough time establishing the mythology behind these manifestations.

And I think that’s a missed opportunity.

The central characters gradually become more desperate, with Isaac’s storyline becoming especially important as the situation worsens.

His visions and paranoia influence increasingly dangerous decisions, including a desperate attempt to protect himself and his sister.

This adds an element of human conflict to the supernatural threat, although the film could’ve explored the moral consequences more thoroughly.

The climax becomes considerably more effects-heavy, incorporating supernatural confrontations and digital imagery that don’t always hold up particularly well.

And this is where I think the movie makes a familiar horror mistake.

It begins with mystery and atmosphere, then gradually trades those strengths for more explicit spectacle.

The final supernatural imagery might be ambitious, but ambition doesn’t automatically translate into effective horror.

Ultimately, the story’s most interesting idea remains its connection between human exploitation and supernatural consequences.

The filmmakers had an opportunity to create something distinctive from Peruvian folklore.

Instead, the movie ends up feeling like another relatively conventional found-footage horror film with a more unusual mythological backdrop.

And that’s probably the most frustrating thing about it.

There’s a genuinely interesting concept here.

I just wish the screenplay had explored it further.

Also heres some her videos i threw together for these 2 reviews 

Also heres her album