Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2025 Review: DON’T LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE is a Brutal Parental Nightmare

Mexican filmmaker Emilio Portes may be locally recognized for his comedy films, but it's in the horror genre where he thrives. His 2017 genre-masher Belzebuth boasts shades of Álex de la Iglesia, while his newest release—Don't Leave the Kids Alone—spins a diabolical twist on haunted house mechanics. It's like Skinamarink with a narrative backbone; a parental nightmare that doesn't hold back. Portes and co-writer Alan Maldonado push where countless similar titles refuse, and while the story eases into its most frightening material, pacing woes fall to the wayside once the film says "fuck them kids" and races to its finale.

Catalina Camacho (Ana Serradilla) is a single mother who thinks she's secured the home-buying steal of a lifetime. "Cata" moves into a spacious residence sold via impound with her sons Emiliano (Ricardo Galina) and Matías (Juan Pablo Velasco), after their husband and father's untimely passing. The only problem? Cata realizes that the legal documents are incorrect and needs them rectified. So, Cata must attend an all-night party at socialite Marco's (Jesús Zavala), where she can undo the mistake by buttering up a big-time attorney—but her babysitter bails. In a bind, Cata leaves "Emi" and "Matí" alone for the night. How much trouble can two young boys get into by themselves?

The answer is, thankfully, a megaton.

Portes treats the "children in peril" subgenre with a refreshing sense of mercilessness. Many sleepover or babysitter flicks of the '70s, '80s, and '90s go out of their way to protect wee little tykes. Don't Leave the Kids Alone chooses the opposite, subjecting its adolescent protagonists to terrors typically reserved for teenagers or their elders. Every scene cheekily teases the audience, like the creators want us to ask, "You wouldn't kill a child, would you?" Whether Portes does indeed slay Emiliano or Matías by the end is irrelevant, because what matters is that suspended dread throughout. That's what lingers and keeps us guessing, subjecting a 6th grader (Matí) and his 8-year-old brother (Emi) to grown-up horror situations.

You might not classify Don't Leave the Kids Alone as a slow burner, yet its glaring issue is the lengthy wait before horror fans will lock in. Portes bounces between the exploits of two underage kings of an abandoned house (still in move-in disarray) and Cata's schmoozing attempts to correct a clerical error while dodging boozy partiers. Jolts, shocks, and outright vileness are backloaded, while the first two-thirds are more playful in their sibling rivalry. Matí lords his seniority over Emi, playing scary movies or sending him on errands downstairs, while they nervously talk about the snarling dog chained up outside, and shoo away a nosey pizza delivery guy.

That said, Don't Leave the Kids Alone unleashes a brutal climax in Act III that throws age-coddling rules out the window. Cata discovered why her new residence came so cheap, thanks to heinous crimes committed by a "Mr. Lorea." Matí and Emi discover the previous owner’s old belongings, including a crude Ouija board that beckons evils they must endure as the night continues. From here, Portes draws upon the tension of bloody messages written on walls, shadowy figures in morbid poses, loaded crossbows, and the supernatural wedge that drives itself between Matí and Emi. The unresolved blame for their papa's death becomes a tool that manipulates Emi, only furthering the hurt and betrayal that color actions that grow more despicable.

What unfolds is a grueling takedown of childhood innocence that is, quite profoundly, a collage of nightmares. Cinematographer Martín Boege works within the confines of a two-story residence with massive window walls and exposed staircases, shooting with eerie apprehension. Child actors Ricardo Galina and Juan Pablo Velasco imbue their characters with authentic wonderment, untested by life's trials yet, but are equally proficient at selling abject fear. Portes gambles on letting two tiny leads shoulder hefty dramatic weight, and it pays off big time by the end. Technical composition certainly does help, because there's no scare power without an artful eye for escalating ghost tale elements; yet, you can't discredit Galina and Velasco's impact. Their believability is paramount to success, and both roles are handily delivered.

Don't Leave the Kids Alone is like an after-school special thrown to the wolves. Portes' dark sense of humor translates into a horror story with no pads or helmets, much to the dismay of parents everywhere. Thanks to an accomplished duo of young actors, the typical blueprint of doomed kids without a chaperone platforms the tremendous stakes the situation deserves. It might take a hot minute to get rolling, which can stifle momentum, but that's just a hurdle to overcome. Once Don't Leave the Kids Alone flips the switch on all-out frights, it's full-steam ahead—and golly, what a rush you'll experience.

Movie Score: 3.5/5