A Simple Sibling Fight Turns into Horror in Anxiety-Inducing Don’t Leave the Kids Alone (FANTASTIC)
Title: Don’t Leave the Kids Alone
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Emilio Portes
Writer: Alan Maldonado, Emilio Portes
Runtime: 97 Minutes
Starring: Juan Pablo Velasco, Ricardo Galina, Anna Serradilla
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2025.
Siblings fight; it’s an unavoidable fact of life, especially when they are younger and are still developing their brains. While the most likely outcome leads to hurt feelings or boo boos, the rare chance that it morphs into something worse can be devastating.
Brothers Matías (Juan Pablo Velasco) and Emiliano (Ricardo Galina) are thrilled when they learn that their babysitter has cancelled for the night. Their mother, Catalina (Anna Serradilla), has an important meeting regarding the house and feels stuck after the discovery. She relents to leaving the kids to their own devices but not before curating a list of rules for them to follow in her absence. Immediately they begin breaking all of her rules: ordering pizza, opening the door, and breaking anything that gets in the way of their fun. Well, there’s only so much trouble the boys can get into before the real danger introduces itself partway through the evening.
Don’t Leave the Kids Alone is a tense and intentionally frustrating demonstration of sibling dynamics and single motherhood.
Starting like any other gateway horror film, it becomes quickly apparent that Don’t Leave the Kids Alone is not playing around when it comes to its terror. The prospect of being left without supervision proves to be far too intoxicating for the young adventurers. Don’t Leave the Kids Alone goes to great lengths to show how bad of an idea it is to leave two kids alone like this without shaming their mother for her dilemma. The supernatural presence is equal parts menacing as it is impactful. By focusing on its manipulation tactics instead of all the ways it can hurt you, Don’t Leave the Kids Alone becomes a more unique experience because the violence mostly being done to these kids is also by them. This spirit has teeth; it’s just intentional about when and where it uses them.
The sibling duo at the forefront of Don’t Leave the Kids Alone give an accurate representation to the mindless escalating bickering that comes with the territory of raising kids, particularly boys. Juan Pablo Velasco and Ricardo Galina exude brotherly affection and frustration perfectly. Balancing the everyday emotions of children with the terror they are confronting, the child actors do a great job of portraying their fear. Thanks to their vulnerability, the more pedestrian avenues of horror become more chilling. Like the mundane nightmares of childhood, a barking dog, disappearing objects, and power outages become earth-shattering life-or-death situations.
Leading the B-story, Anna Serradilla injects much needed panic into the narrative as her character discovered the terrifying context behind her new property. Without Catalina’s story, the sugar-high nightmare of the boy’s ordeal would not have the same impact. Deepening the lore while keeping tabs on the most important player in the boy’s lives, and one who unintentionally drives a wedge between them, Catalina keeps the stakes high with her absence. Serradilla plays her role well, allowing the flurry of emotions – guilt, worry, irritation, and terror – to manifest authentically while still maintaining a commanding presence with her onscreen children. Arguably without her, Don’t Leave the Kids Alone would struggle to maintain the same rhythm.
It’s hard to watch kids in peril but Don’t Leave the Kids Alone does it in a tactful way, even if the children aren’t immune to violence. Without robbing the brothers of agency, writer/director Emilio Portes keeps them on the precipice of danger throughout the entirety of the film. What ensues is a delicate dance between life and death as the brother’s anger with each other grows. Between the supernatural threats manipulating them, their mother being so far away, and their own ignorance, the horror the boys experience swells to an insurmountable wave. For those that can handle the constant anxiety, Don’t Leave the Kids Alone becomes a tense exercise in endurance.
A solid supernatural horror film, Don’t Leave the Kids Alone is bound to leave audiences divided, either with the dizzying suspense or the shocker of an ending. Solid performances, authentic characters, and a genuine sense of dread make this supernatural horror an exciting one. Its tendency to repeat itself can be frustrating but its ability to ensnare the audience into a hypnotic state of suspense outweighs this. If obnoxious kids in peril sweetens a horror movie for you, Don’t Leave the Kids Alone will certainly leave you on the edge.
Overall Score? 7/10
